


You and I Collide

by nikichica



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - No Island, CEO Oliver Queen, Doctor Felicity, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Slow Burn, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23697298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikichica/pseuds/nikichica
Summary: Vibrant, babbling, unapologetically herself; Dr Felicity Smoak is the newly appointed physiotherapist to Robert Queen. Felicity just wants to make the most of the situation and do the job they hired her for. After an unconventional introduction with Oliver, handsome, stoic, righteous Queen scion who is the complete opposite of her, Felicity finds herself falling for the one guy that’s beyond her reach and engaged to someone else.
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen & Robert Queen, Oliver Queen & Thea Queen, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Robert Queen & Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper/Thea Queen, Thea Queen & Felicity Smoak, Tommy Merlyn & Oliver Queen
Comments: 67
Kudos: 196





	1. Dr Smoak to the Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: I got the idea from a movie so not all plot points are mine. The chapters are planned and I'm posting a couple of chapters just to see whether people are keen on reading some more.  
> However, I might be a tad slow to get them posted mainly because I'm terrible at finding a work-life balance :/
> 
> Also, I'm new to fanfic writing, so please be kind. Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

"Lis, thank god you made it" the rushed voice of Coach Joe West exclaimed as she entered the changing room.

"I know it was your night off but we had a pile up on the ice and Dr Snow was dealing with some other players and we need to know if Allen here can get back on the ice for the last quarter." Coach West explained with a worried look on his face.

Dr. Felicity Smoak was physiotherapist to the Central City Comets hockey team. Being a sports physiotherapist for a major league hockey team wasn’t what she ever saw herself doing. After graduating from Harvard Medical School with her degree in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, she planned on working at the local hospital but she was surprised when one of her professors referred her as a candidate for the assistant trainer for the Boston Bruins. She took the job and learned that she was not only great at it but also that she absolutely loved it. Couple of years into the position she had become known for her ‘take no shit’ attitude, inspiring pep-talks and some unconventional yet effective therapy methods. Before she knew it, she had a pick of teams she wanted to work with.

When her contract with the Bruins came to an end, she wanted a change of scenery. Central City made the most appealing offer and it was closer to Las Vegas, which meant that she would be close to her mother again. She has been with the CC Comets since.

Felicity sighed and smiled. "No problem, I’m here now. So tell me what’s wrong."

"It’s a dislocated shoulder." Barry winced as he took of his jersey to be examined.

Coach West had taken to her immediately and treated Felicity like one of his own. She had dinner with the West’s every Friday and had become good friends with his daughter, Iris. Iris was the sports writer for Picture News and was dating Barry ‘the Flash’ Allen, star of the CC Comets.

"Ouch. Dislocation sounds right." Felicity replied as she gently inspected his shoulder.

"You know what we need to do." She looked at Barry apologetically. 

"Yeah, let’s just get it over with." Barry agreed bracing himself.

"Ok here, goes…3, 2 - " the clicking sound of his shoulder was almost not heard over Barry pained shout. "- Done!"

Barry eyes were squeezed shut as he attempted to get his breathing under control.

"…And I wouldn’t recommend getting back on the ice tonight." Felicity explained as she placed an ice pack on his shoulder. "We might have to do an x-ray tomorrow to make sure there aren’t any fractures and I don’t think you want to aggravate the shoulder any more." She turned to coach West, "Sorry Joe."

"I figured you’d say that. A guy can hope. Looks like you’re benched for the rest of the night." Joe replied dejectedly. "I better get back out there and let them know." He said as he headed for the door.

Felicity turned back to Barry "You can still go out there and watch the rest of the game if you’d like."

Barry was about to reply when a frazzled looking Caitlin, assistant trainer and therapist rushed in, interrupting him. 

"Felicity!" she wailed. "I’m so sorry, I know you had the night off but things just got so out of hand and I tried to tell them not to call but they didn’t listen…"

" -Cait!" Felicity interrupted her rant, "It’s ok. I don’t mind and I was just catching up with my TV shows and thinking about what to have for dinner, so you weren't disturbing much."

"…Oh, okay. Since you love your job so much that you would rather be here than have the night off, have you given any thought about taking on the Robert Queen case? I have to let them know by tomorrow. Please say yes. Please. You’d be doing me a huge favour and I would owe you my first-born child. Ronnie and I finally have time off to go on our honeymoon, so you know I could totally deliver on that debt if you say yes. It’s been six months since we got married and this might be the only time we are getting for a while. I’m desperate, Lis. Pleeeeeeeeeee- " 

"OKAY! Fine! I’ll do it. I’ll save your marriage." Felicity appeased, dramatically rolling her eyes. "Wow, is that how I sound to you guys?" she mumbled looking at Barry who simply hummed in agreement, still holding the ice pack to this shoulder.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She squealed as hugged Felicity. "I will email you all the details. I can totally cover for the rest of the night if you want to head home now."

Felicity wasn’t going to wait for her to change her mind. "Okay then, I’m outta here. Take care Barry. Night Cait." She quickly picked up her bag and exited her locker room.

\----

Nursing a glass of wine and grabbing her tablet, she settled into the couch after getting home. Felicity seemed to go out of her way to help a person, that’s what got her into this line of work in the first place. Case and point, Caitlin and Ronnie. She hoped she made the right choice. Especially since she hadn’t ever considered being a personal therapist. 

Yet here she was, personal physiotherapist to Robert Queen. 

Caitlin had sent her an email with the client files attached. The information on his patient files briefly alluded to his medical history. Mr Queen had a spinal injury and hadn’t been able to walk since. The several attempts at rehabilitation and therapy had been unsuccessful. Whether it was his doctors or Robert himself, only time would tell.

She had been curious about her future employers. Opening a new tab, she typed her patient’s name, feeling the urge to do what she called ‘preliminary client research’ on the Queens to find out what Caitlin had got her into. 

The Queens were Starling City royalty, she knew that much already. Queen Consolidated was a Fortune 500 company and was in the property business. It was passed down through the family; Robert had inherited from his father and had recently passed it down to his son, Oliver. They owned an assortment of hotels, housing complexes, restaurants and clubs all through the west coast. Their net worth had more zeros than she had ever seen in a number. Most of what she found about them wasn’t all that surprising.

Moira Queen, Robert’s wife, had been the daughter of wealthy politicians. Her marriage to Robert had seemed like a business arrangement yet the photos of the couple said otherwise. They looked so young and in love. They had two children;, Oliver and Thea. 

Wanting to know more, Felicity googled ‘Queen Mansion’ and the pictures of the estate left her awestruck. The large opulent mansion stood in the middle of the 200-acre property. Sprawling lawns and gardens surrounded the mansion. The property was surrounded by a large brick wall and had guards patrolling at each of the three entrances. It was a historical building and was open for tours during different times of the year.

As she continued her research, she found newspaper articles and magazine spreads, fashion reviews and gossip and fan blogs. The Queen family’s fame rivalled that of the Kardashians. While most news on Robert and Moira was linked to the company, philanthropy and lavish galas, this could not be said for the Queen children. News about a young Thea Queen was often about her fashion choices and paparazzi shots of her out and about with friends and family. Oliver on the other hand seemed to be a scandalous playboy, who never seemed to be photographed with the same woman twice. There were numerous news pieces about altercations with the police and other wild-child antics. 

Most of the recent news was about Queen Consolidated or the occasional paparazzi shot of a family member accompanied by bodyguards. It was almost as though someone had erased any online information, or the Queens has simply stopped making any appearances. There seemed to be a few small new articles that referred to the ‘Queen Tragedy’ but nothing beyond that. There were snippets about Oliver eventually graduating from Starling University and taking over the family business two years ago. More recently rumours of Oliver’s engagement to ADA, Laurel Lance had graced the covers of magazine but the Queens had yet to confirm any details.

Whatever had happened to the family had left them closed off and detached. 

Something told her that working for them was going very different to anything she had done before. Sighing, she reminded herself,  _ I’m doing this for Caitlin. _

\----

The week had flown by. She was leaving for Starling City tomorrow. After signing off on her leave of absence for the coming months. All that was left was to finish packing. Felicity couldn’t help but feel a sense of restlessness settle over her. Maybe it was just nerves. Even though the salary was more than generous, it did nothing to reassure her of her choice.

The Skype ringtone from her tablet broke her out of her internal debate.

Seeing her mother's smiling face he settled on the couch. 

Donna Smoak had made it her mission to have weekly Skype dates with her daughter since she left Vegas for College. There was time Felicity had dreaded these conversations. But after not talking to her mother for 2 week because of a fight about something stupid that she honestly couldn't remember anymore, she realised she missed her. Her mother had always been her constant. When her dad had walked out on them, Donna did everything in her power to make sure that Felicity didn’t feel that loss. Donna Smoak raised her daughter working two jobs for minimum wage and tips, in six-inch heels. She was one person Felicity could count on when everything turned to shit. Since apologising they haven't missed a week yet. Now they call each other as they pleased. Sometimes it was to say 'hi', or just to have someone to complain to. Other times it was for fashion, hair or make-up advice. Today, she was calling to check in before Felicity left for Starling City in the morning. 

Answering it she felt herself grin. "Mom, you don’t have to hold it so close to your face, I can see you just fine." 

"Oh! It's on. There’s my Baby Girl!" Donna cooed. "Are you all packed? Did you remember to pack a couple of dresses and heels? You packed your good underwear right? You never know when you might meet someone and go out on a date..." Donna gushed, placing her tablet on the coffee table. 

"Hi mom. It’s so good to see you. I missed you too." Felicity replied sarcastically. 

"Felicity, I'm being serious. You remember Levi, Theresa Appelbaum’s son? I saw her at temple last week and you know how she won’t stop telling everyone about him. He’s starting his own business and he’s engaged," she explained.

"Mom please… don’t start this again." Felicity groaned knowing what was coming next. 

Hearing her door open and close behind her, the aroma of melted cheese and pepperoni reminded her that Roy was getting pizza for dinner on his way home from. 

Roy Harper had wormed his way into her life when she was still studying at Harvard. He was a couple of years younger than her and worked as a waiter at a local college bar. He had come to her rescue when a drunken frat boy tried to hit on her. Roy ended up punching the guy and injuring his wrist. She had offered to examine it so he wouldn’t have to go to the hospital to check it out. They ended up getting along well and became good friends. 

Roy's father was in prison and his mother had passed away when he was a kid. He had been on his own since he was sixteen. He had once divulged that he had been by himself for so long that he thought he could never connect with anyone. Somehow meeting Felicity had changed that. She was persistent, and kept coming back to check up on him, often bringing a big belly burger when she discovered his weakness for food.

When she decided to move to Central City, he chose to tag along. To say she was relieved to have her friend accompany her would be an understatement. He had been the closest thing she had to family since leaving Vegas. Roy became her roommate and got a job at a paintball arena. She found she liked having Roy around. He was like the younger brother she never knew she wanted. They looked out for each other. When she was stressed or angry he introduced her to the therapeutic properties of paintball. She got him season tickets to games. Neither of them could cook so they lived off microwave meals and take out. Although he denied it, he loved binge watching TV shows with her. They fought over stupid things like laundry and dishes but they would apologise eventually and share a pint of mint chip. She trusted he would be one of those people that stuck around for good.

"Why not? Felicity, this isn’t natural. I’m not asking you to get married, but it’s been almost 2 years since you were dating someone seriously. You’ve been working so hard and you’ve made a name for yourself. You work with so many handsome men all day long, and you haven’t even nabbed yourself a hockey player hon."

"Mom, you seriously have a one-track mind. Just drop it already."

Falling into the couch beside her, Roy leaned in front of the screen to make his presence known. "Hey Mrs S, she can’t help it. Barbie here seems to scare off any guy that looks her way every time she opens her mouth. Maybe you could try girls?" he said stuffing a slice of pizza in his mouth. 

Playfully hitting him a cushion, she pushed him out of the way. 

"Oh hush, you!" Donna scolded, "I’m just saying that maybe if you don’t like hockey players, Starling City royalty couldn’t hurt, right? You have to aim high, baby."

"Seriously mom, Mr Queen is old enough to be my dad and his legs are failing him." She replied, getting frustrated. "And you know, I’m not interested in dating at the moment and they sure as hell don’t seem to be interested in me" she quietly mumbled the last part into her wine glass.

Hearing Roy snort, she turned to glare at him but he continued unaffected. "No Kidding. Remember Josh; he broke up with you because he thought you talked too much. Oh and Douchebag David, he didn’t like that you had a guy for a roommate. Then there was Ray, you got a restraining order and he still thought you wanted to date him. How could I forget that tool, Cooper -"

"Yes, we get it!" She cut him off. "It's not my fault. It’s not like I can control it." Felicity grumbled clutching a cushion to her chest. 

"Oh honey! Don’t worry about those guys." Donna reassured, "They were idiots and so not good enough my beautiful girl. It was just bad luck. Who knows, maybe this time your luck will change."

"Maybe…" she said softly to herself. She had been feeling apprehensive about the new job without her mother reminding her about the lack of love life. Choosing to ignore it she continued, "Listen mom, I’m going to go have dinner and head to bed. It’s a long drive into Starling tomorrow and I plan on leaving early. I’ll talk to you later, okay?" Felicity tried to sound casual.

"Of course, baby. I understand. I’ll call you tomorrow to check in. Goodnight, sweetheart. Good night, Roy. "

"Love you." Felicity replied.

"Night, Mrs S." Roy chimed in before she ended the call. "So, you all set for tomorrow then?

"As ready as I can be." She said, grabbing a slice of pizza and turning on the TV.

"Blondie, you need to take it easy. Look I know you’re feeling nervous about this. You shouldn’t be. I know you’ve probably done your ‘research’, " he smirked making air quotes, knowing she hated the word hacking. "And that’s probably what’s got you feeling nervous. But you are amazing at what you do and it's only 6 months. Once you get started, time will fly by. Trust me."

Roy was right. Forcing her brain not to overthink things. The Queens were just people. They were still human beings. Wealth and stature didn’t change that. 

Plus she was damn good at her job. So what if there had been 42 therapists before her and they all quit. That simply meant that she would be the first to succeed. She was going to do this. 

"I thought I was the one who gave pep talks around here" she teased, trying to sound more sure of herself.

"Yeah, well I thought I could do it for a change since you're the one leaving tomorrow." he replied, bumping her shoulder as he turned the TV on. 

With that, she pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and got comfortable; focusing on reruns of old Friends episodes. 

She would worry about the Queen’s tomorrow.


	2. Meet the Queens

He had been in Central city for the past couple of days, checking on the company’s holdings and having business meetings. Oliver had asked to meet with Jean Loring to find out how things were panning out with their latest acquisition.

"Patience is a virtue, Oliver"  remarked  Ms Loring, head of QC’s acquisition team.

Oliver listened tolerantly as he looked through the new business proposals, making notes and changes as he read, knowing full well that they are trying to distract him from the lack of progress on the Knyazev buy out. He had come to Central City hoping to schedule a meeting with Anatoly Knyazev. But it seemed like it would not be happening. 

"Mr Knyazev won’t sell his family business so easily. We have been trying for the last three months. He’s been refusing to meet us. My advice is that you head back to Starling and continue with business as usual. We will bring him to you." She explained, sounding confident.

He leaned back in his seat, Oliver smiled politely. "Thank you Jean for your advice. Your team has been making me wait for three months now. I can understand where you’re coming from but I feel there’s no point in waiting. It’s clear that we both have different views about what’s best. So maybe our methods should be different too." Oliver got up from his seat and buttoned his suit, making it clear that the meeting had ended.

Jean rose as well, but her response is cut-off by his assistant, Jerry's arrival.

_ Perfect timing. _

"Sorry to interrupt, Miss Loring. Mr Queen, I just wanted to inform you that I confirmed your seat next to Mr Knyazev on tonight’s flight." Jerry rushed to explain.

"Oh wonderful. Thank you Jerry." He replied.

"Oliver, I don’t think this is a good idea." said Jean, sounding hesitant after latching on to Oliver's plan.

Oliver had already made up his mind to disregard her advice, promptly thanking her for her time and leaving her office. 

Exiting the building, he gracefully entered the back seat of the sleek black BMW. "Straight to the airport Digg, we have a plane to catch."

"The meeting went as you planned, I take it." Dig smirked as he looked through the rear-view mirror, knowing Oliver's tendency to get his way.

"Of course, what other way is there?" He retorts as they make their way to the airport.

Boarding the plane with Digg, he greeted the flight attendant and they made their way to their seats.

Mr Knyazev, who was looking out the window, failed to notice who had taken the seat beside him. 

The click of the seatbelt seemed to draw him out of his reverie. Oliver deliberately avoided looking at him, making himself comfortable.

"Mr Oliver Queen." The Russian gentleman announced calmly, turning to face the front of the plane. 

"Sir." Oliver responded respectfully.

"I suppose it isn’t a coincidence that you are sitting here right now." He turns then to look at Oliver, his Russian accent beginning to sound confrontational.

"No, Sir." 

"So you believe that I will sell you my family business in this 2 hour flight to Starling City?" he questions disbelievingly. "That you can trap me here and get me to agree to your deal."

"You’re trapped somewhere else, Sir." Oliver retorts, keeping his vice even.

Huffing, Mr Knyazev turns away in an effort to control his anger.

"QC’s offer to buy out your restaurant is saving you." Oliver explains. "Look, Mr Knyazev. We don’t need to talk here…  _ if _ you confirm our meeting for next week."

Anatoli looked at Oliver carefully, considering his suggestion.

"Excuse me, Sir." The voice of the flight attendant brought their conversation to a halt.

Not waiting for a reply, Oliver turned to the attendant, "He’ll have a black coffee…one sugar," getting the order correct, to the older gentleman's disbelief. "And for me, a black tea, no sugar."

"Sure, Sir." The attendant left to get their beverages.

The rest of the flight went by without either of them saying a word.

As they got ready to disembark the plane in Starling, Anatoli finally spoke up.

"Next week, Friday. noon. I hope you bring your a-game." He said before he turned and left.

Oh I planned on it. Oliver smiled discreetly to himself, pleased with his progress.

\--- 

_ "Yes mom." _ Oliver answered promptly on the third ring.

"Did you manage to schedule a meeting with Mr Knyazev after all? You know that he won’t agree so easily." Moira replied, as she got ready for dinner.

_ "Don’t worry mom, I already have something in motion." _ He reassured her. 

"Good, I trust your judgement." She smiled, feeling proud of how far her son had come. She hadn't known what to expect when the accident happened all those years ago. Their whole world had turned upside down in a matter of minutes. For weeks, Moira had struggled with the next steps she needed to take. She was expected to hold her family together and run the business. She was barely holding on herself. Almost a month later, Oliver had come to her to talk. Unsure about what he was going to say, she tried to smile and look supportive. His decision to complete his degree, get his MBA and take his rightful place at the head of the company had left her feeling relieved. He was finally taking responsibility for his life and the company. For the first time since their world came crashing down, things were starting to look up. That was almost five years ago.

"Oh, I have some interesting news I wanted to let you know," Moira recalled, "Dr Snow managed to get your dad a new physiotherapist since she couldn't make it herself." 

_ "Oh, and have you mentioned this to dad yet?" _ he asked, sounding sceptical.

"Not yet," she replied, hoping her voice didn't give away the anxiousness she felt brewing in the pit of her stomach, "but he’s going to have to do it. She’s arriving tomorrow."

_ "Ok, well I’ll be back tomorrow night. I’ll be meeting Laurel for lunch and I have some work at the office before I head home." _

"That sounds promising, have the two of you settled on a date? We can’t keep putting this off, sweetheart." She knew he had been avoiding the issue. 

Commitment had always been an issue for her son. While it was excusable in his youth, these days it was beginning to worry her. Moira hoped he would do the right thing eventually.

Moira had always believed Laurel Lance was a good match for her son. Laurel was the daughter of Captain Quentin Lance of the SCPD and Dinah Lance a college professor. She had gone on to study Law and was currently working with the District Attorney. Laurel was smart, successful, driven and not to mention, beautiful. They made a stunning pair. Their relationship would be great for the company and Laurel would make an ideal daughter-in-law. 

_ "I know mom, we’ll be discussing it tomorrow." _ Oliver answered, sounding mildly irritated. 

"Ok then, I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart." She said, dropping the issue for now. "Good luck with Mr Knyazev. I have a feeling you are going to need it."

_ "Thanks mom. Bye." _ He responded, before ending the call.

Moira glanced at the clock. Five minutes to eight. Dinner always began at 8pm. She made her way to the dining room where Robert was already waiting at the head of the table in his wheelchair. He was in his sixties and greying, his well-groomed features only softened with age. Yet he had an air of authority about him. 

"Hello Robert. How was your day?" she addressed her husband kindly as she took her seat at the table.

"Well as good as any other, I suppose" was his vague reply, looking up briefly to meet her eye. 

Raisa, the housekeeper made her way into the room with a large serving bowl setting it down on the table.

Moira addressed her, "Oliver won’t be joining us for dinner tonight so you can take away his plate. And Thea is late again." She continued looking at the clock. "If she isn’t here in the next three minutes, you can remove her plate too."

Robert stared unresponsively, swirling the wine in this glass before taking a sip.

Thea dashed into the dining room, her hair still wet and tousled from taking a shower. 

"Thea, your hair." Moira stated shortly. 

"Right," She said, quickly, pulling her hair elastic off her wrist and trying her hair with it. "Sorry, I’m late mom. Hi dad." Thea made her way to her seat just as the clock struck eight. 

"Hello princess." Robert smiled at his daughter.

"Discipline isn’t a bad thing, Thea." Moira told her daughter before signalling to Raisa that they were ready to begin. 

Thea nodded and picked up her spoon to have her soup. 

Dinner was a quiet affair. It wasn’t always like this. The accident had caused everyone to retreat into themselves, and in the months following it had become a habit. The Queens spoke briefly before meals, ate in silence, and if time permitted the talked after dinner, only to inform each other about something important. It seemed easier to evade any disagreements or confrontations if they avoided small talk. 

As their plates were being cleared Moira decided it was time to inform her husband, "By the way Robert, Dr Snow called and confirmed that your new physiotherapist, Dr Smoak, will be starting tomorrow."

"What’s the score now, Thea? 40? 42?" Robert retorted. 

"I have no clue, dad." Thea answered looking uneasily at her mother who didn’t seem entertained.

"I know Robert, that no one has stuck around till now. Maybe she won’t be around for long, either. But for once, if you gave it a try then maybe -" She tried to rationalise before he interrupted. 

" - I didn’t ask for a therapist, Moira. I didn’t drive them away either. And what will me getting better do anyway? It’s not like I can go back to the way things were before." Robert muttered. The disheartened look on his daughter's face seemed to do the trick. Sighing, "What did you say her name was again?" she asked, noticing the small grin on Thea’s face. 

Moira was gratified. "Dr Smoak. Dr Felicity Smoak. She studied at Harvard. She is a sports physiotherapist and she has worked with NHL teams." She replied happily.

\---

Oliver had arrived in starling late last night and had gone straight to QC to complete some paperwork. He had crashed at the Executive apartments to save him the trip back to the mansion and allow him to be early for work the next morning.

He left QC to meet with Laurel for lunch at her request. She had been determined to meet and talk about the wedding and move things along. Oliver hadn’t been as enthusiastic.

He walked into The Round Table and approached the maître d', "Oliver Queen, table for two."

"Right this way, Mr Queen. We have your usual table ready for you." She responded efficiently, leading the way to the table. "Would you like something to drink while you wait?" 

"Yes, I’ll have a whiskey, on the rocks. Thanks." He answered, smiling politely. He was going to need a drink if planned on getting through this wedding talk. He pulled out his phone as the attendant went to get his drink. Seeing a message from Laurel.  _ ‘Running late, be there in 10. See you soon. X’ _

The waiter arrived and placed his drink before him, before returning to the bar, leaving Oliver with his thoughts.

It had been almost six months since he had asked Laurel to marry him. They had been dating for a year and everyone – more specifically the QC board of directors and his mother - seemed to think it was time for him to settle down. That as the key word, wasn’t it? Settle. He was settling. He often found himself asking, why.

_ Why am I doing this? _ The answer was simple, he was expected to.

Expectations. Someone once said that ‘expectations are the root of all heartache.’ And how true that was. Ever since the accident, he had been trying to fix his mistakes. He had been trying to live up to everyone’s expectations as the cost of his own happiness. He got his act together because of his father’s wishes. He joined the company because of his mother’s wishes. He was getting married because it was the next step on this list of expectations he was given.

Getting married had never appealed to him in the past. The young ‘Ollie’ ran away from any commitment. He didn’t want to commit to QC or to any relationships. Simply put, he was selfish. It was part of the reason Laurel and he broke it off before college. She had wanted to continue their relationship, long distance – he didn’t. College was supposed to be the time to spread his wings, so to speak, not to be tied down. So they went their separate ways. His freedom didn’t last long - three years and four colleges to be more specific. At 22, the accident hadn’t left him much choice but to grow up. Unexpectedly, he found a sense of pride when he graduated. He even began thriving at QC and enjoying the work they did. Growing up didn’t seem so bad. While he began to think that marriage was more of an option, he had hoped it would be because he fell hopelessly in love and wanted to spend the rest of his life with someone. Not because of the expectations placed on his shoulders.

Although Oliver loved Laurel, he never felt as though he was in love with her. He was sure that it was the same for her. There was a sense of familiarity between them that came from growing up together. They had started dating because they were both single and it seemed like a good idea at the time - and he was sure his mother had something to do with it. 

However their relationship lacked passion, intimacy and openness. They never fought or even cared enough to argue. Their jobs seemed to be a priority. The nights spent together were a way to let off steam and nothing more. They spoke about the future but never with too much detail. There was so much Laurel didn’t know about him, about what happened after they broke up, about the accident. She was a different person now and she knew he wasn’t the same person he was back then either. But she didn’t really know who he was now. She had broached the topic once and he shut it down immediately. She didn't ask again. They were both comfortable and complacent with the way things were so neither had tried to change it. Their relationship made sense to those who caught a glimpse of them together. Two beautiful, successful people, the media ate it up. 

The decision to propose was made like most other decisions in his life were, by someone else. In this case his mother and the QC board had come to the consensus that his relationship with Laurel was ready for the next step. After a heated debate with his mother, he reluctantly agreed. He proposed the following week with his mother's ring during their weekly dinner date. She said 'yes', yet even during that moment he could tell from the way her smile didn't reach her eyes that something vital was missing. 

Oliver knew there wasn't much he could do to change the way things happened. And most importantly he didn’t want to disappoint his family. Not again. All that was left to do was to put on a mask and hope no one would call him out on it. 

He checked his watch again then looked up to see Laurel approaching the table. He got up to greet her with a kiss and helped her into her seat.

"Sorry I’m late, my last meeting seemed to go on forever." 

"It's ok, I know how those can be." Signalling the waiter to come take their order.

They talked briefly about his trip to Central City and her current case until their food arrived. Laurel finally brought up the main reason for their lunch date.

"Have you given any thought to when you would like to have the wedding?" She asked as she poked the last of her salad.

He placed his cutlery on his empty plate and took a sip of his water. "I thought you wanted to have a Fall wedding? Right?" he questioned in reply.

"So September or October. That’s - " she was cut off by Tommy who decided to join them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favourite person, and Ollie." Tommy greeted the pair.

Oliver grinned at his friend’s playfulness. "Merlyn."

"Hi Tommy." Laurel replied amused , unable to stop the uptick of her lips.

"I hope you don’t mind me joining you," he said, pulling up a chair, "the staff mentioned you were having lunch Ollie. You can’t come to my restaurant and not say hi." 

"Of course not buddy," replied Oliver, "I thought you might be busy. Laurel and I were just talking about the wedding. It’s been hard finding time to just sit down and talk, as you know."

A look flashed in Tommy’s eyes but disappeared as soon as it arrived. Pasting on a tight smile, Tommy continued, "I’m not surprised. Laurel is marrying a business machine. When was the last time you took time off since you joined the company, Ollie? If she doesn’t marry you, I don’t know who will. No one wants to get hitched to a robot," he joked.

"Very funny." Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious, man. What will you do if she runs away or decides not to marry your sorry ass? I mean you'll have your business. But alone and lonely at 75…" he taunted with a smirk, "that’s a tough life."

Laurel smiled awkwardly and shook her head at Tommy’s speech. 

The ringing of Oliver’s phone cut the banter short. Getting up to take the call, he missed the long looks Laurel and Tommy were giving each other. 

Returning to the table, he was puzzled to see Laurel stand quickly to leave with a frown etched in her brow. "I have to get back to QC, something’s come up." He explained.

"I have to get back too." She said to both him and Tommy. "I should be done with this case by next month, so we can start planning then."

"That sounds fine. I’m sure my mother will have all her ideas ready to share with you by then." He agreed, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I’ll talk to you later Tommy." He gave a quick wave as he left the restaurant.

The remainder of the day passed in a haze. Meeting after meeting, he barely had time to stop and take a breath. Leaning back in his chair, he turned to look out the windows of his office. It was past 10pm, so he had missed yet another family dinner. The sky had turned dark and the looming clouds overhead juxtaposed with the bright lights of the city’s nightlife.

Maybe it was time to head home. He messaged Digg and asked him to bring the car around.

He was suddenly aware of his exhaustion. He might just get a decent night sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments :)


	3. Sentiments, Stress and Sleeplessness

Felicity had been driving since nine in the morning. Her bags stuffed into the trunk and back seat of her red mini, a venti nonfat latte with extra sugar, and the ‘road trip’ playlist that Roy had made for her.

Six hours later she passed the ‘Welcome to Starling City’ sign.

According to her GPS, she wasn’t far from the Queen Mansion, which was on the outskirts of the city. The butterflies in her stomach that had been dormant for most of the ride had come to life again. 

Hearing a phone vibrate, she slowed down to answer it, putting it on speaker so she could keep driving.

"Mom, you know I love you but do you really need to check in right now? I’m almost at Queens." She commenced impatiently.

_ "Are you driving and talking to me right now?" _ Donna questioned .  _ "Honey, you know that isn’t safe…" _

"I wouldn’t have answered if it was anyone else. And you know you would have just kept calling till I answered. Why are we arguing about this? You called, I answered. So tell me whatever it was that couldn’t wait." Felicity replied looking for the next turn.

_ "I just worried about my daughter. Is that so wrong?" _ Donna retorted.  _ "Besides, did you think about what I said last night? About putting yourself out there a bit more? You’ll never know if you never try. The Queens might be well off but you my girl are a successful genius with a great ass! They would be stupid not to realise that." _

"For the last time, mother. Mr Queen is old and married with two kids. And I don’t need a boyfriend. I’m perfectly happy being single…" Felicity’s rant stopped in mid-sentence. "Holy frack …" She whispered to herself.

She was mesmerized as she took in the sight of mansion gates in front of her. There were guards stationed on either side. Beyond the gateway she could see a long gravel driveway lined with large willowy trees. It all seems so surreal, like she had driven onto a movie set.

_ "Felicity? Baby, are you there? What’s going on?"  _ Donna inquired to no avail.

Felicity snapped out of the daze to reply. "Um, Mom… I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later okay? Bye." She hung up before Donna could get in another word.

She drove up to the gate and rolled down the window. Pulling out her ID she handed it to the guard. "Hi, I’m Dr Smoak, here to see Mr Queen." She proceeded to explain rapidly.

The guard studied the ID, then considered her face closely before he radioed in to confirm her meeting. Handing her ID back, "Drive on in, someone will meet you at the front entrance."

"Thanks." She replied before she made her way to the mansion.

Arriving at the front she put her car into park and clambered out, grabbing her handbag and phone. "Wow..." she huffed and stood motionless looking up the building before her. "The picture did not do this place justice." she muttered to herself.

"Dr Smoak?" a deep voice spoke from beside her.

Felicity yelped, holding her bad as a shield. She looked up to see a large, African American man regarding her steadily.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you." The man explained. A hint of a smile on his lips. "I’m John Diggle." He introduced himself. "Head of security for the Queens."

John Diggle was a handsome man. He had a round face with a sturdy jaw and dark, warm eyes. He was impossibly tall, and had broad shoulders and arms the size of tree trunks. His face held a forward, fixed gaze and had an air of integrity that was unmistakable. He wore a crisp black suit and a wireless earpiece. 

"Mr Diggle, yes. Dr Smoak, that’s me. Felicity Smoak. I’m her. I mean you can call me Felicity." She babbled, shaking his hand and smiling nervously.

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling. "Nice to meet you Felicity. You can call me John, Diggle or Digg." He replied warmly. "I can have someone park your car in the garage and bring your bags in." Taking her keys and handing it to another guard. "For now, if you’ll follow me." He opened the front doors and led the way.

Felicity followed him, walking quickly to keep up with his larger strides. She looked around at the opulence of the Queen’s home. Diggle led her to a large sitting room and informed her that Mrs Queen would join her soon before stating that he had to another job to attend to and leaving quietly.

Felicity stood in the centre of the room, and put her bag down on one of the settees and gawked at the sight of the large, opulent room.

_ How is this place even real? _

The walls were adorned with cream coloured wallpaper that had a subtle jacquard gold print. The few paintings hung around the room in gold frames. Side tables carried delicate vases with lavish fresh flower arrangements. The room was accented with a touch of green. The pale green curtains were drawn back to let the light in through the large windows that covered most of the wall.

It was all so surreal. Like something Felicity had only seen on TV or read in period romance novels. Yet all the finery in the room seemed to revolve around a central piece. A large model of a boat. Or was it a yacht? She didn’t know the difference and she never thought she would need to. The Queen’s Gambit, it read on the side. The model was detailed; the masts, the sails, the rope, the glossy paint. If she had to guess, she would have said it was a miniature replica of a real boat.

She gently reached her hand out to touch the side –

"Dr Smoak, I’m sorry to keep you waiting."

Caught of guard, Felicity spun erratically to face the direction of the voice. But as luck would have it, her watch caught on the model and as she turned she began to pull the boat with her. She felt like it was happening in slow motion. She reached out gracelessly to stop the boat from falling off the table where it stood.

_ No, no, no, no, no, no. Don’t fall. Don’t fall. Don’t fall. _

Felicity struggled to keep the boat upright as she leaned against the table. She locked eyes with Moira Queen who stood, stunned, at the entrance to the room. Another woman that looked about the same age and was wearing a simple white uniform followed her.

"Hi, I’m Dr Felicity Smoak." Felicity said awkwardly, trying to wave and hold the boat up simultaneously. "A little help, please?" she screeched feeling her grip on the boat falter.

"Raisa, please give Dr Smoak a hand." Moira instructed the other woman, who hurried to Felicity’s side and assisted her in placing the boat back on the table.

"It’s okay. I’ve got it. You can let go now." Raisa reassured with a slight eastern european accent.

Relieved that she hadn’t destroyed the model, she replied with a worried smile. "Thank you."

Raisa simply smiled and nodded before stepping away.

Felicity sucked in a breath before whirling to face Moira Queen. "Gosh that was deceivingly heavy."

"Yes, my husband commissioned that model of our family boat to be made before his accident. It’s very dear to him." She answered sharply.

"Oh that’s nice. I’m not a huge fan of travel by sea. But whatever floats his boat." She bemoaned the words as soon as she said them. "That was a bad joke. I’m sorry."

_ Great first impression, Felicity. _

Moira regarded her silently and did not seem amused.

The uncomfortable silence had Felicity babbling before she could stop herself. "Mrs Queen, your hair looks great. How do you get it to sit so well? My hair has always been a mission to tame. It’s the curls. If I brush them they get frizzy. If I leave them they get matted. I recently started straightening my hair -"

Moira cut in and ended her rant. "Dr Smoak, as much as you’d like to think I care about your hair problems. I can assure you I do not."

Felicity couldn’t help but feel a little hurt at her harsh tone. She meekly pinched her lips shut and stood still unsure of what to do.

Without wasting any time, Moira announced, "This is Raisa, the main housekeeper."

Addressing the housekeeper, "Raisa, please show Dr Smoak to her room in the guest wing. She must be tired."

"Now that you mentioned it-" Felicity attempted to speak again.

"-Dinner is at 8pm." Moira concluded not giving her a chance to speak. With that she turned and headed out of the room.

"Moira." Felicity called out when she noticed the heels the Queen matriarch was wearing.

Moira spun to face her, a frown gracing her sharp features. " _ You _ can call me Mrs Queen."

"Right, sorry. Mrs Queen -" she corrected herself. "The shoes you’re wearing are too high for your age. Have you thought about wearing flats or orthotic slippers around the house? Otherwise, you might suffer from plantar fasciitis." She tried to explain.

"Raisa. Please see the Doctor in her room." Moira said curtly and looked at the housekeeper expectedly then turned and left, ignoring Felicity.

Raisa smiled and asked Felicity to follow her. Taking the staircase to the right to the first floor, she navigated her way around the corridors with ease. Felicity trailed behind her, trying not to get distracted and hopefully remember the route Raisa was taking. The housekeeper halted in front of an ornate wooden door and Felicity, who was slightly side-tracked by the paintings on the walls of the hallway, almost walked into her.

Raisa opened the heavy doors to the room and stood aside so Felicity could enter. She couldn’t hold in the gasp that left her when she saw her room.

" _ This _ is my room?" Felicity whispered the question incredulously, facing the housekeeper with wide eyes.

"Yes, Dr Smoak. One of the other maids has already unpacked your bags and placed your toiletries in the bathroom, which is through that door," she said, indicating to the door on the left of the room. "The right bedside table has a directory. If you have any questions or need anything, you can dial 1# on the home phone to contact me directly during the day. I hope everything is to your liking." She finished explaining.

Felicity simply nodded and spun on the spot. The room,  _ her room _ , was more amazing than any hotel she had stayed at. Not to mention she was a Vegas girl and her mother had briefly worked in some 5 star hotels. This was so much more exquisite.

"Thank you Raisa." She said, grinning. "But please call me Felicity."

"Of course, Miss Felicity." She corrected, smiling softly. "If that’s all, I’ll take my leave. Dinner begins at 8pm." With that she retreated from the room.

Once she was alone, she squealed and dove onto the giant king sized bed. Rolling onto her stomach, she looked around the space.

The room was a pale blue colour. It had its own fireplace with comfortable looking couch and a coffee table in front of it. In the corner sat a small desk and chair, her laptop and tablet were already placed there and seemed to be charging. She got up to have a look at the bathroom. Unsurprisingly, it was just as lavish as the rest of the room. A marble vanity, a huge mirror, a sizable bathtub, a separate shower, even the toilet looked classy. Noticing a door next to the bathroom, she opened it and the lights turned on immediately. "I have died and gone to heaven." She murmured. The walk-in closet was never a thing she fantasised about but now she knew her tiny, cramped closet at home could never compare.

Walking out the closet, she looked at the time on the clock above the fireplace. It was now 4pm so she still had four hours before dinner.

"I might as well get some work done." She grabbed her patient notes and laptop and parked herself on the bed.

As she looked over her notes she felt her eyes begin to droop and before long, she had dozed off leaning uncomfortably against the headboard. 

* * *

  
The chime of grandfather clock was resounding in the silence of the dining room. Moira, Robert and Thea sat at the table, all avoiding eye contact with each other as they waited for their guest to arrive.

Moira glanced at the clock again. It was five minutes past eight. She glimpsed at her husband who was slowly savouring his wine, seemingly indifferent. Thea shuffled in her seat and played with a piece of her long brown hair. Raisa stood patiently to the side waiting for further instructions.

Moira was about to ask one of the maids to fetch the young doctor when Felicity came bounding into the room.

"Sorry I’m late. This place is like a maze. For a moment I thought that if I opened a door I might end up in Narnia, but just my luck the door led to the theatre room. I didn’t know you had one of those but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. This place is massive." She said as she plopped herself into her seat.

She finally stopped and looked at the others who all had different looks of disbelief of their faces. "Sorry, I babble. I’d like to blame it on genetics but I can’t be too sure." She laughed gingerly at herself hoping it would make things less embarrassing.

Moira nodded to Raisa to begin serving dinner. Raisa began setting the food on the table. The family began serving themselves and passing the food around.

Felicity turned to Robert, "Mr Queen, it’s nice to meet you at last. I’m looking forward to us working together."

Robert spared her a brief glance, choosing to hum his reply before attending to his dinner. The lack of response didn’t seem to deter her though. Instead she turned to Thea, and introduced herself extending her hand, "Hi, I’m Felicity."

"Thea." She replied succinctly, with a small smile and shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you." She replied happily. Turning to her plate, she appraised the food. "Wow, this pasta looks absolutely delicious Raisa." She picked up her fork and began to eat. "Oh my god, and it tastes divine!" she all but moaned.

Raisa smiled sweetly at the unexpected compliment.

Thea stifled a laugh and looked at Robert who was trying to do the same.

"I can’t cook to save my life. Donna can’t either so I shouldn’t be surprised." She continued.

"Is Donna your sister?" Thea asked, attempting to make small talk.

"Ha! She would love you for saying that." Felicity scoffed. "But no, Donna is my mom."

As if she had heard her name being spoken, Felicity’s phone began to ring noisily. She hurriedly pulled her phone out and sent it to voicemail. "Sorry, that was my mom. Speak of the devil as they say. I’ll just put it away." She muttered.

Felicity had never done well with silence. It made her feel anxious so she often tried to fill silences with her babble. That’s why after noticing that no one seemed to want to talk, she decided she would. "So Thea, are you seeing anyone?"

Thea almost choked on her bite of pasta. Taking a sip of water and looking at her mother, she stuttered out an answer. "Me? No. Nope. No boyfriend."

"Seriously? I mean, you’re young and cute. I’m sure you’d have boys lined up to take you out." She tried to seem encouraging. "I mean I know a guy and you’d totally be his type." She said thinking of Roy.

Moira appeared to have had enough. "Thea is getting ready to head to Yale. She doesn’t have time for boys." She answered for her daughter. "And Dr Smoak, in this house, we don’t talk while eating."

"Oh, I wasn’t aware. I mean, I thought that you’d all be so busy during the day that dinner might be the only time you all really get to catch up. So I guess I thought that I could -"

"Dr Smoak." She spoke in a cautioned tone. "Raisa will tell you the rest of the rules."

The remainder of dinner passed in silence.

* * *

  
Oliver had arrived home and headed straight for his room. A few months after the accident, he had moved into the guest wing of the mansion in the hope of getting more privacy and to be out-of-the-way with the rest of the family. He thought not seeing the dejected faces of his family, might ease the guilt he felt. That hadn't been the case. 

In his exhaustion he hadn’t noticed the light peeking beneath the door of the room next to his.

He entered his room, not bothering to switch on the lights and shut the door after him. Oliver made his way into the bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. He just wanted to have a quick shower and head straight to bed. Anything else could wait.

The shower had become a place for Oliver to collect his thoughts. As the warm water washed over him, he distractedly ran his fingers over the scars on this abdomen. They had become a part of him and although he had grown used to them he still avoided situations where he had to take his shirt off around others. His mother knew about it but hadn’t seen them but he could imagine the look of pity and horror on her face. Thea had fleetingly noticed them when she passed his room but he had yelled at her to leave. At the look on Laurel’s face he knew that they made her uncomfortable. His scars were a part of him, a sign of him of his selfish ways. But they were also a part that signified a change in him as a person.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Oliver didn’t hear his bedroom door open and shut.

He got out of the shower, dried himself off and changed into his flannel pyjamas pants and a t-shirt before brushing his teeth.

Re-entering the bedroom, he headed straight for his bed. Removing his shirt and dropping it on the ground, he raised the covers he settled into the left side of his bed. Shutting his eyes he waited for sleep to take over.

* * *

  
"Urgh." Felicity grunted as she finished applying the second coat of sea foam blue nail polish to her toenails. "How do they expect a patient to get better in this atmosphere? I mean, seriously, who doesn’t talk at dinner? Do they talk to each other at all?" She put the lid back onto the nail polish and put it away.

The atmosphere at dinner had made her stressed and nervous about starting work tomorrow. "I’m going to have to do something about this, aren’t I?" Felicity asked herself. Talking to herself had become a habit at a very young age. She’d become used to it and so had the people in her life.

She felt her stomach rumble. If she was going to stress herself out thinking about this she was going to need some of her go-to stress eating food. "Ice cream!"

Throwing on her well-worn Harvard hoodie over the top of her camisole and sleep shorts. She bravely poked her head out into the hallway. Not noticing anyone in the corridor, she ventured out in search of the kitchen.

She found it rather easily and headed straight for the freezer. She was ecstatic to see they had her favourite, Mint-chip. Scooping some into a bowl and grabbing a spoon, she made her way back upstairs. She had finished eating the ice cream by the time she got to her room. 

Felicity didn’t consciously notice that she had passed her bedroom door and entered the room next to hers. She simply shut the door behind her and made her way to the bed. The room was bathed in darkness. Too lazy to turn on the lights, she held her arms out to feel for the bed. Finding it, she put down her bowl, took off her hoodie, tossed back the covers and slid in. She took off her glasses, placed them on the side table and turned to her side, pulling the cover over her.

She was beginning to doze off and didn’t notice someone slipping into bed next to her.

The slight tug of the covers left her arms exposed causing a chill to run through her. She tugged the covers back and tried to get snug again. But the covers were tugged off her. She pulled them back only for them to be tugged off for a third time. Grunting she yanked them back.

Oliver stilled at the sound of the soft grunt. There’s someone in my room.

Slowly, he reached for this bedside table lamp. Quickly turning towards the other side of the bed to catch the intruder in his room. He was surprised to see a mop of curly blonde hair spilling out from under the covers.

Before he could say anything, a feminine voice whined, "It can not be morning yet. I barely closed my eyes."

Felicity opened an eye and noticed that it wasn’t the light on this side of the bed but the other. She rolled over and tried to reach it but rolled right into a warm yet hard surface. Opening her eye she gathered that the warm, hard surface was in fact an extremely broad, muscular chest. Tilting her head back, she looked straight into a set of vibrant blue eyes.

Damn, he’s beautiful, she thought at first before it occurred to her that there was a stranger –  _ a very handsome stranger her brain added _ – in her room.

Startled, she yelped and flung herself backwards, off the side on the bed and onto the floor.

Oliver stayed still in disbelief but found himself repressing the urge to smile.  _ Who the hell was this woman? _

"Owwww." She groaned as she got up and grabbed her hoodie from the floor and wore it. She looked at the man more clearly this time, "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my room?" she questioned with hands on her hips and an angry look on her face.

_ Cute _ he thought looking at the way her lips pouted. Oliver's eyes raked over her figure. Wait. _ I am really checking out the intruder. _ He must really be tired. shaking his head he spoke evenly. "I think you mean, my room." 

Felicity froze, then put on her glasses and looked around the room. "This is my… oh." Her puzzled look quickly morphing into understanding.

She looked at him again, this time her eyes caught on the scars on his body. Oliver grabbed his shirt from the floor and quickly wore it. He was slightly stunned to notice that she seemed to have moved on. He hoped she wouldn't ask questions later.

Felicity moved from her spot to walk around. "This really isn’t my room." She said finally. "But you still haven't answered my first question. Who are you?"

"Oliver Jonas Queen." He replied swiftly, coming to stand before her. She was small, the top of her head just reached his shoulder he realised.

She looked up at Oliver. "Oh…" she murmured before continuing, "You really don’t look like your photos online. I kinda thought you looked like a serial killer in one of your photos."  _ Shut up, Felicity! Shut. Up. Why can't I just stop talking?! _

"And who are you?" he prompted in reply, overlooking her comment.

"Sorry, I’m Felicity Smoak. Dr Felicity Smoak." She said with a wide smile. "I’m your father's new physiotherapist."

"Ahhh… the doctor." He remembered his mother mentioning dad’s new therapist would be arriving today. "Your room must be next door." He made his way back to his bed.

"Right. Such a gentleman." She said sarcastically, picking up her things from the bedside table.

"Says the woman who snuck into my bed in the middle of the night." He retorted.

"Touché." She replied, amused.

Oliver found he wanted to say something back but settled for rolling his eyes and waiting for her to leave.

"Oh, is this your fiancé?" she said, noticing the picture on the table.

"Doctor, it’s late. I’d like to get some sleep. Please leave." Oliver requested, sounding a little disgruntled.

"She’s gorgeous." Felicity mumbled.  _ Snob _ .

Oliver followed her as she made her way towards the door, "So... do I call you Mr Queen? I’m asking ‘cause it could get confusing with your dad being called Mr Queen too…"

"Oliver." He answered shortly. "You can call me Oliver. Good night doctor." He said as she left the room and he shut the door behind her.  _ Cute but exasperating _ he thought unable to control the small smile on his lips.

" Night… " Felicity exhaled and entered her own room.  _ Yup, definitely a snob. _


	4. The Unwilling Patient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity starts her therapy sessions, runs into some roadblocks and make a new friend. Oliver is still a snob. Moira is yet to be impressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for your kudos and comments! I was blown away by the positive feedback and it definitely encourages me to keep writing. 
> 
> Before posting I had chapters 1-8 completed and I'll post one a day till I've caught up. Writing in new to me so, please be patient as I piece together the chapters. So far I have 12 chapters planned in total but this might change as I continue writing. 
> 
> Anyway...
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Groaning, Felicity pulled the covers over her head to cover her eyes from the single streak of morning light peeking through the curtains.

Keeping her eyes closed she reached out for her phone on the bedside table, where it had been charging. Looking at the time, she sighed "8am, I guess I should probably get up."

Rolling out of bed, she headed straight for the bathroom to get read. Once she changed into her favourite nike tights, a bright pink tank top, she pulled her hair into a sleek ponytail and made her way to the kitchen, hoping to see Raisa to ask her for directions to the home gym. The kitchen was the only place she didn’t have difficulty finding… and probably the most important considering her eating habits.  _ They should really consider getting all guests maps. _

"Good morning, Raisa." Felicity greeted cheerfully as she entered the kitchen.

The housekeeper welcomed her with a bright smile. "Miss Felicity, good morning. Would you like some breakfast, dear?" she asked as Felicity took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"If you’re the cook, I think I'll eat just about anything. But no nuts, I’m allergic." Felicity replied easily. "Where are the Queens? Will they be having breakfast too?"

"No dear, Mr Queen takes breakfast in his room. Mrs Queen and Miss Thea have already had their breakfast before Miss Thea left for school." Raisa explained. "Mr Oliver, makes his own because he leaves early most mornings. But tell me what you would like to have? Coffee, tea, maybe a smoothie?"

Felicity perked up at the mention of caffeine. "Some coffee would be great."

Raisa placed a steaming cup on the counter. Felicity fondly picked it up, cradled it in her hands and inhaled the strong aroma. She watched Raisa move around the kitchen with practiced ease preparing what looks like scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and toast. She even pulled out some fruit salad from the fridge.

Felicity savoured the food and remembered to ask Raisa for directions to the home gym before she headed off to get ready for her 10am session with Mr Queen. Assured by Raisa that she would bring Mr Queen to her on time.

* * *

"This is good. From the tests we just did, you seem to have some sensation in your legs." She says, sounding positive as she rummaged through a box of equipment. "I was thinking we could begin with some really simple exercises."

Robert's uninterested tone cuts her off. "I think that this was enough for today. I’m not particularly interested in exercising." 

Felicity turned back to her patient.

"Starling is a great city. So go explore the city for the next couple of days then feel free to go back home." He said hoping to get his way.

Felicity crouched down near his feet and replied happily, "Central City isn’t a bad place for sightseeing either and if I wanted to have fun, I could just take a vacation….Come on, let’s exercise."

"I never do anything unwillingly." Robert clarified with a stubborn look on this face.

_ Mr Queen’s a snob too. Surprise, surprise! _

"Raisa, would you please find Mr Queen’s 'will', he can’t seem to do much without it." She joked good naturedly.

Raisa, who was standing off to the side, looked on skeptically.

Robert looked at her flatly and simply called the housekeeper, "Raisa. Excuse me, please."

Raisa was there immediately and began rolling the wheelchair out of the room. She looked back at the doctor sadly.

"Huh." Felicity looked on a bit thrown. "What just happened?"

_ Doesn’t he want to get better? _

"Now what do I do?"

The rest of the day, Felicity spent mucking around the house. She started out helping the groundskeepers water and tended to the gardens. She followed Raisa around asking if she could help with chores. She explored the house, discovering the theatre room again, a study, the Queen’s library, a ballroom, a conservatory, the outdoor swimming pool and hot tub. She even tried to redecorate a room to feel more at home.

At the end of the day, she had a shower and crawled into bed.

_ Maybe tomorrow will be better, _ she hoped.

* * *

"The two hour session was reduced to 30 minutes!" Felicity had complained on the second night.

_ "It’s alright, baby. Maybe he’s just lazy. Don’t you give up so quickly!"  _ Donna tried to reassure her daughter through skype.  _ "He might see your enthusiasm and feel trying too." _

Felicity hummed in response, before saying good night.

She lay in bed considering what she could do to get Mr Queen more involved before slowly drifting off to sleep.

Days three, and four went about the same as the first two. Raisa would bring Mr Queen to the gym at 10 on the dot. She would ask him to try some exercises, he would refuse. They would go their separate ways.

Day five was her day off as per her contract. So she made the most of it, getting a few books from the library and watching netflix in the theatre room. She also called Roy and her mom as she normally did at the end of the day.

On day six, she decided to make use of the sunshine and take her yoga mat to the back lawn. She comfortably went through the various poses, focusing on the breathing and collecting her thoughts.

Oliver was working from home and decided to go for a run. On his way back into the house he had spotted her in the cobra pose and almost walked into a door. So he pursed his lips to hold back the smile at the look on his mother’s face when she drew back the curtains to see Dr Smoak with her legs straight in the air.

The image of the doctor with her back arched and chest out seemed to gnaw at his mind for the next few days.

* * *

A week had gone by and still no progress.

Felicity was walking through the corridors because her patient has refused to turn up yet again. Admiring the artwork that graced the walls of the house, she had set herself a goal to see how many of the works she could recognise and name.

As she passed a door, she heard a muffled squeak followed by a thud. Without thinking twice she rushed in.

There, on the floor was Thea Queen, lying beneath a collapsed mannequin and covered in red chiffon fabric.

"Thea, are you alright?" Felicity said and she crouched down to help her. 

"I’m ok, I think." straightening up and throwing the fabric on her bed. "I just tripped and took the mannequin down with me." Thea explained.

"Can I ask what you were doing with all that fabric and a mannequin?" Felicity inquired looking around the room. She noticed Thea move quickly to try to cover something on her desk.

"Oh um, it’s nothing important." she said trying to avoid the question and asking another one instead. "So what are you doing on this side of the house?"

Felicity didn’t give up that easily. "What do you have there?" she said reaching around Thea to pick what looked like a sketch book. She flicked through a couple of pages then looked back at the girl standing before her. "You’re a designer." she stated matter-of-factly.

"No, nothing like that. I just like sketching and stuff. It’s really not a big deal." Thea tried to play it off.

"But, these are amazing, Thea!" she said, still flicking though the book. "Wow...have you shown these to anyone?"

"Nope, and that’s probably never going to happen." the young Queen replied, sounding crest-fallen.

"What? Why?" she looked at her quizzically.

"I’m supposed to be focused on getting into Yale next year."

She had got that much from Moira that first night at dinner, "But why can’t you do both?"

"Mom and dad won’t get it. Mom had made it clear that she doesn’t think it’s a realistic career choice."

"Have you tried talking to Oliver? He might be able to help…"

"Yeah, no. Ollie is always busy with work. He doesn’t have time to make it to family dinners, I doubt he would make time to talk to me about this."

"Thea…" she began but decided not to force the issue. "Fine let’s change the subject. Can I hang out with you for a bit? I’m kinda running out of things to do in this place. I’m still surprised I lasted this long."

Thea giggled. "Yeah, that actually sounds like fun. Usually, it’s just me. I don’t really like bringing friends home and honestly I could use a break from all this." she gestured to the books and folders that covered her desk and part of her bed.

"Awesome!...so what do you want to do first?"

The subtle smile on her face was replaced with a full blown grin. "How do you feel about heights?"

"Umm..." Felicity didn't get a chance to reply. Thea took her hand and pulled her the room and off in an unknown direction.

* * *

Over the next few days, Thea and Felicity would make time to meet either after she got home from school or after dinner. They would hang out and talk, paint nails, watch a movie. Felicity taught Thea some yoga to help her relax. She even introduced Thea to her mom and Roy over Skype, observing how Thea blushed at Roy's not-so-smooth flirting.

Moira had noticed the two girls spending a lot of time together. Much to her chagrin. Spotting them in the theater room watching a movie together and on occasion hearing laughter from her daughter's bedroom, she thought it might be necessary to remind the doctor of the job she came here to do. 

Felicity liked having a friend around. It made time pass quicker and made her feel less alone. Thea had seemed quiet and shy when they had first met. But that was no longer the girl she spent time with. This Thea, her friend, was fun, sassy and quick witted, she found she had an impeccable sense of style and had some big plans for her own future. The more they talked, the more Felicity sympathised with the young Queen. She seemed lonely in a house full of people.

She stretched out on her yoga mat and looked up at the sky. It was late and the sky was dark. She let out a breath and gazed at the stars flickering above. 

Felicity heard a door open somewhere behind her and a voice speaking quietly but she chose to ignore it. 

* * *

Oliver had been having a rather busy week. His meeting with Anatoly had needed to be rescheduled for another day which meant another delay in his plans. 

He had come down from his room to get a bite to eat. When his phone began to ring, he stepped out onto the patio to take the call. 

_ "Ollie! Are you still alive? Where have you been, man?" _

"Hey Tommy." he began, "Sorry man, I've just been swamped with work this week."

_ "Yeah, I figured. You could use a break so I was thinking that we should hang out soon. I feel like It's been ages since we had a guys night." _

"That actually sounds like a good idea. I'll check and let you know when I'm free and we can plan something soon." 

" _ Good _ ." he hesitated slightly but continued " _ So uh...have you spoken to Laurel lately?" _

"No, not since our lunch which you so kindly graced us with your presence." Oliver joked, not noticing his friend's hesitance.

_ "Oh, I just bumped into Laurel a couple of days ago and she mentioned her caseload getting bigger because of some more evidence being discovered. She said something about postponing the wedding...so I was wondering if you guys had spoken about it." Tommy rambled. _

Unsure about why Tommy was bringing this up, Oliver replied "Well, if we have to I guess I can't do much about it. I'll call her later and talk to her about it. Thanks for letting me know." He looked up at the sky and couldn't help but feel like the knot in his stomach that had been there since his lunch with Laurel ease a little.

" _ Ollie, you two don't act like a couple who are getting married. Maybe I can start a betting pool on when this Queen-Lance wedding will actually happen.... _ " Oliver opened his mouth to admit his scepticism about his engagement but he closed his mouth when he spotted a certain blonde stretching on the back lawn. His eyes traced the curve of her spine, lingering on her shapely ass. He snapped out of this perusal at Tommy's wary tone.  _ "Hello. Hey Ollie? Is everything ok?" _

"Hmm, oh it's nothing. Just dad's new physiotherapist." he mumbled in reply, still preoccupied by the young doctor. 

" _ What new physiotherapist? Is it a woman? Are you checking her out?" teased Tommy. _

"What? ...oh no, No!" Oliver tried to keep his voice steady but it didn't seem to work. _Shit, why am I still checking her out? Stop gawking at her Oliver,_ he scolded himself internally. Looking away from Felicity he felt his face heat up. 

_ "Dude, is she hot? Come on man, don't hold out on me." His best friend egged him on. _

"Felicity is..." he paused to look at her again, trying to find the right word to describe her. "She should come with a warning sign."

Tommy chuckled. _ "Oh, my interest is peaked. Please, do tell."  _

Not liking the turn the conversation had taken and how he felt about it he answered, "Look Tommy I have to go. I'll let you know when I'm free for a guys night." 

_ "Ok man, don't work too hard. Bye." _

Oliver said a quick goodbye and began to walk down to the grass where Felicity was now in a Tree pose. He shuffled his feet and waited for her to notice his arrival.

Impatiently, he cleared his throat."Doctor." he addressed her curtly. 

Startled, Felicity yelped as she lost her balance. A pair of warm, steady hands on her waist steadied her before she fell on her face. She felt the warmth from his hands through her top and tried not to pay attention to the goosebumps on her skin.

Taking a deep breath, she redeemed her composure and turned towards her caller. Oliver was still dressed in suit pants and a dress shirt, a couple of buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up. His hair was slightly messy like he had run his fingers through it. Her eyes locked onto his cool blue ones, she had to look away from their intensity. 

"You people should come with a bell." she muttered under her breath but he seemed to hear her judging by the small smirk on his face. "How can I help you, Oliver?" she asked, trying to sound polite. 

"I was on the phone and I couldn't help but notice you were exercising at this time of night. Why is that?" 

Felicity shrugged. "Why not?" she asked, a little confused.

"You don't seem to have a shortage of free time. You can do this -" he gestured to her yoga mat, "- during the day, right?"

"I only have free time because my patient isn't willing." she started folding her arms.

" Uh-huh. All the same." he nodded before adding, "We wouldn't want you getting sick from the cold when you have a job to do then, would we?" with that he walked away leaving Felicity behind a little muddled.

_ Ugh, Snob! _

* * *

The following day, Thea and Felicity were sitting on a bench in the rooftop garden that Thea had shown her the first time they really talked.

_ A garden. On the fracking roof. Like they need more outdoor space.  _ She remembered thinking the first time.

Thea had been silently playing with petals of a flower for the past ten minutes.

"So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" Felicity questioned softly.

Thea looked up at her gathering her thoughts before she began. "You remember my sketches? The one of the dresses?" she asked.

"Yeah of course I remember, they are amazing Thea." she replied, unsure about where this conversation was heading.

"Well what if I told you I sent some of them to a design school?" she whispered hesitantly, looking down at her hands."

"Seriously? When? I thought you said you couldn't do that?"

"Yeah, I did say that but..." she glanced up at Felicity and took a deep breath. "You asked why I didn't just do both. And that was stuck in my head. I sorta started looking into it and I found a school that has business and fashion design as an option. And it's in Central City which totally isn't too far away. So I just decided to apply and see what happens. I mean I might not even get it."

"Damn. You almost gave me a run for my money with that babble." Felicity said with a big smile. Thea was still staring at her intently waiting for her reply. "Thea, I think it’s a fantastic idea. I can totally see you as the head of a fashion empire."

"You really think so? Cause I got a call back and they would like me to come in for an interview for the programme."

"Thea! That's great news. I'm so happy for you!" She affirmed pulling her into a hug. Leaning back she continued, "But I definitely think you should talk to family about it. They might surprise you."

"Hmm… yeah, I'll think about it. I better get back and finish that essay I've been putting off," she said getting up making her way back into the house.

Felicity looked at her retreating figure. She hoped that Thea would talk to her family before making any rash decisions.

* * *

She was yet again killing time. This time in the library, returning the books she had finished reading and finding more books to keep her occupied.

If this is how it was going to continue, it was going to be a long six months. 

Moira had seen Dr Smoak making her way to the library with a stack of books, she decided it would be best to approach her while she was alone.

Felicity pulled out her phone to take a selfie of herself in the library to send to Roy and but turned when she heard the distinct clicking of heels on the wooden floor. 

"Oh, hello Mrs Queen." she smiled greeting the older woman. "I just took a selfie to send to a friend. Can I just say that I'm most definitely in love with this library. It reminds me of the library in beauty and the beast, you know the one..."

"Dr Smoak." she stopped her mid babble. "Isn't your first session from 10am to 1pm?"

"Uh-huh." she nodded.

"Well, might I suggest that you focus on that. If you must wander around the house taking photos, I can arrange for you to join a tour with the other tourists." she 

"Right," she answered not knowing what else to say but then remembering what she wanted to say. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Mr Queen. He doesn't seem to want to do any exercise. I feel like he might not want to get well."

"Doctor. Please." her frustration evident in her tone. "Either you can help my husband or you can't. If you decide you can't then we can arrange for your ticket as soon as possible." The Queen matriarch asserted. "Now if you will excuse me I have a meeting to attend to."

She stood glued to her spot as the other woman left the room. 

_ What was with the people in this family and all the dramatic exits?  _ She found herself wondering disbelievingly.


	5. A Moment of Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity receives some advice, gives some advice and gets some clarity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks again for the amazing support and kind words.

_ "Uh oh, is that Mr Square Bear Face?" Donna answered immediately at noticing the look on her daughter's face.  _

_ " _ Mr What?" Felicity replied.

_ "Mr Square Bear, you lost him when you were 4 and you had the same look on your face. Aw, honey don't be sad!"  _ Donna tried to sound encouraging.

Today had been yet another disappointment. Robert Queen was a stubborn man. And if she was being honest, it was beginning to get under Felicity's skin.

Felicity had talked to Roy straight after dinner when Thea was around so they also had a chance to talk. The two of them seemed to have hit it off and Felicity was happy about that. They were both good kids. But that meant that she couldn't complain and whine about her patient. So she called her mother as soon as Thea had gone back to her own room for the night.

"Mom, I just don't know what to do anymore. Mr Queen still won't listen to me. Mrs Queen threatened to send me packing if I didn't do my job and it's not like I don't want to do my job. I literally can't because the patient won't listen." she whined.

_ "Baby, if they don't value you, then go back home to Central City. Or even better, come visit me in Vegas! Who do they think they are?! Their last name might be 'Queen' but they aren't real royalty."  _ she grumbled, putting on her mascara as she got ready for work.

"Mom, you don't get it!" Felicity griped, flopping down on her bed. "Everyone in this family is so damn strange! They never talk to each other. And Mrs Queen, every time she sees me is as though she wants to bite my head off."

_ "Wait a minute, didn't you say that they had a son? Have you tried talking to him about his dad? He might be able to help?"  _ She mumbled dabbing on some lipstick before turning to face the camera.

"Don't even get me started on him. He is such a snob." she complained, imitating his first introduction. " _ Oliver Jonas Queen.  _ What kind of middle name is Jonas anyway?"

_ "Baby, we Smoak women, we don't give up just because things get a little tough. And I know my daughter. You don't stop till you know that there is nothing else you can do. So do this one thing, go talk to Oliver and see if he'll help."  _

"I don't know mom, maybe I should just cut my losses..." she lamented.

_ "Felicity. You always find another way."  _ she affirmed.  _ "I have to leave for my shift now, but just promise me you go talk to him first."  _

"Fine, I promise. I will." she agreed.

_ "Ok, good. I have to go now baby. Take care and we'll talk soon so you can tell me how it went. Byeee! Mwah, mwah."  _ she rushed, air kissing the screen.

"Bye mom." Felicity hung up.

She promised her mother that she wasn't giving up just yet. She was going to have to talk to Oliver and see if he would be able to persuade his father to give the physiotherapy a chance.

She looked at the time on her phone, it was 10pm. Felicity wondered if now would be a good time to talk to him. He usually wasn't around during the day and didn't make an appearance at dinner because he got home late most days.

Felicity poked her head out the door and looked down the hallway. She noticed the light coming through the bottom indicating that he was in his room. Walking over and standing before the closed door she sighed.

"Ok Felicity, just go in there and get straight to the point. You are a professional. This is about your patient. No unnecessary word vomit. You got this." she gave herself a little pep talk before firmly knocking on the door.

* * *

Oliver had arrived home at 9pm, just missing another dinner with the family. He had intentionally avoided dinner at home if she could over the past few years. He wouldn't admit it but he found it easier to make excuses about work than sit through the awkward silences that now accompanied any occasions his family spent together. He missed the times when family dinners were filled with light hearted conversations and laughter. Nowadays, they all sat quietly, not making eye contact and only speaking if absolutely necessary. Oliver felt his guilt eat at him every time he looked at his parents and Thea. If giving family dinners a miss helped ease that feeling, even just a little, then so be it. It was selfish and he knew it.

An hour later, he was still going over some final paperwork before he could call it a night when he heard a knock on the door. He assumed it was Raisa checking on him asking if he would like some dinner brought up to his room. A lot changed but he was glad that Raisa hadn't.

"Come in." he answered tiredly.

"Hi Oliver." her soft voice caught him off guard. His head shot up to see Felicity opening the door, cautiously walking into his room.

He hadn't seen the doctor since their last interaction on the back lawn a few nights ago. The sight of her had left his brain buzzing and his thought straight into the gutter. He wasn't expecting her to have that kind of effect on him. He found himself taking a cold shower to clear his mind of the image of her in those yoga pants.

He shook his head to focus on what she was saying.

She walked up to where he was sitting on the sofa "I wanted to talk to you about something." She pointed to the seat across from him. "Can I sit?" she asked nervously.

He smiled politely and nodded, surprised at her restrained demeanour. He could see that she seemed hesitant and had a crease in her brow. She sat down and shuffled in her seat. As he waited for her to begin he studied her appearance. She looked like she had recently showered, her hair damp and curly. She was wearing the same pyjamas he had seen her in the first night they met, an oversized Harvard hoodie that almost covered her bright red shorts. His gaze fell on the creamy skin of her thighs, slowly making its way down her toned legs. His swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry.

Felicity cleared her throat, causing Oliver to look up abruptly meeting her bright blue eyes and noticing the freckles on her nose and cheeks. Her pink lips stretched into a grin when he realised he had been caught checking her out. 

"Were you just checking me out?" she teased. Felicity crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat, feeling more confident about herself.

"Hmm?" he feigned ignorance. "What did you want to discuss?"

_ Okay then _ . Trying not to roll her eyes and taking a breath she began. "It's about your dad. He actually has some sensation in his legs. You have to understand that it's a really good sign. It means that there is a lot of scope for improvement."

She got up and began pacing in front of the fireplace. "I don't think anyone has ever properly motivated him to exercise. And I know he's kind of intimidating at first and a very stubborn man, but I get the feeling that he, himself, doesn't want to get better, you know. And then there's the fact that everyone here seems so busy with work, or following rules and regulations."

Oliver, glanced at his watch. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"You can't wash this responsibility off your hands just because you hired a doctor." she explained. "You and your family have to get involved too, Oliver."

"Doctor, I don't think you understand our lifestyle." he argued. "And anyway, why would he listen to me? You are the doctor."

"But you're his son!" she all but used her loud voice. Calming herself down, she continued, "My mother, she's… she's my mom. My dad, he left us when I was 7. I was young and I couldn't understand what I did wrong to make him leave but Donna, she was so strong for the both of us. She did her best to never let me feel that loss. But there were times when I got older I saw her go a bit off-track or breakdown a little. I was the only one who could bring her back. Take advantage of being his only son, and talk to him."

Oliver stared at the young doctor, taken aback by her openness. She was opening up about her life to him. He was a near stranger. He couldn't even bear to talk to a shrink after the accident. He admired her for that.

Unsure of what to say, and feeling shaken by the strong sense of reverence he was feeling towards her in that moment. He felt the need to reach out to her. So he did what he had done best for the past few years. He pushed his feelings aside.

"Look, if this job is proving too difficult and you feel incapable of handling it then you can leave. We can make other arrangements." he said smoothly.

Felicity seemed baffled by his reply at first but it quickly changed to anger.

"Ugh! What is the problem with everyone in this damn house?!" she said, feeling frustrated and his apathetic reply. Her volume increased as she spoke. "Whenever someone needs to talk to someone else about anything, you all wriggle your way out of it! That's the reason so many doctors have come and gone. And as for me, I have treated NHL players, and trust me they aren't that easy to deal with. So when I feel like I can't handle something, I'll leave." she finished, breathing heavily and looking him directly in the eye.

Oliver considered her carefully. She seemed to have picked up on his family's issues and their reluctance to communicate. She wasn't afraid to say what she thought. But more than that, she seemed to actually care. Why else would get herself so worked up about this? Oliver didn't know how to reply.

His silence must have made her think he wasn't going to reply, as she turned and made her way to the door muttering under her breath.

"I don't think I can change his mind." he said so quietly he didn't know if she would hear him. And he really didn't believe it. Robert and Oliver hadn't spoken properly in a long time. Why would his father listen to anything he said?

But Felicity seemed to have heard him and she paused at the door, her hand on the knob. She turned to face him again.

"But, I uh… I guess I could give it a try, alright?" he continued sounding unsure.

She smiled before she asked hopefully, "Really?"

He simply nodded, softly smiling back genuinely at the look of happiness on her face. 

"Thank you, Oliver." she said sincerely.

He looked down at his feet to keep her from seeing the blush that warmed his cheeks. Only looking up when heard her say a soft good night before closing the door behind her.

Shaking his head and looking back at his work, he wondered what it was about Felicity that made him care about things that he had shut out for so long.

* * *

Felicity was feeling so much more positive after her talk with Oliver. In fact, she was looking forward to her next session with Mr Queen. Maybe this would finally make him take his therapy seriously.

The next morning she was ready and waiting in the gym when Raisa brought Mr Queen for their 10am session. But as her luck would have it, Robert refused to participate yet again. They sat in silence for a few moments, neither saying a word until Robert asked the housekeeper to take him back to his room.

She wondered if Oliver had spoken to his father yet. Robert hadn't mentioned anything about it, so she took it as a no.

The rest of the day passed like all the others before, aimlessly looking for things to entertain her.

That night, lying in bed Felicity came to the conclusion that she might be leaving soon. As much as she tried, no one in the Queen family seemed to listen to her. Thea was the only exception but she was young and had her own teenage issues. Felicity didn't have it in her to burden her new friend with any more than she had to.

This arrangement was obviously not working.  _ If no one in this family really cares, then why the hell should I?  _

Stressed, she had the sudden craving for mint chips, her go-to stress eating snack. Felicity made her way to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Raisa and Diggle, sitting at the breakfast bar talking in hushed tones. They both paused, noticing her standing at the door.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to get some ice cream." she said.

Diggle smiled. "Don't worry about it. You didn't interrupt anything. You can join us if you'd like. I was just telling Raisa about Sara, my daughter. She's starting to talk."

"That really great Diggle." She walked to the freezer and grabbed a whole pint of mint chip and a spoon.

"Dear, are you sure you don't want a bowl?" Raisa asked, looking at Felicity amusedly.

"Oh, no thanks. I stress eat." Felicity replied sheepishly. Moving to join them where they were sitting.

"Do you want to talk about it?" John asked, sounding more thoughtful than curious. "What's got you feeling stressed?"

She looked down at the ice cream pint in her hands before speaking. "I think it's time I head home." Felicity replied dejectedly.

"So soon?" asked Raisa. A look of worry crossed her face.

She sighed. "Let's just say that I realised the reason why doctors appointments only last 15 mins. You visit the doctor, tell them your problem, get a prescription, pay a fee and leave. That's the way it is for a reason."

Raisa and Diggle looked at her apologetically.

Avoiding eye contact, she shook her head and continued. "This is the first time since I started working that I have actually felt disrespected by a patient. I mean, my mom is a cocktail waitress in Vegas. So I have seen first hand what it's like to be disrespected and devalued, you know. And I have worked with some pretty tough patients in the past few years. But it's never been this bad. Mr Queen isn't a terrible person. I know that. But if no one here wants to make any changes or listen to my advice then why the frack did they hire a physiotherapist?" glancing up again, she saw the others, simply looking at her with slightly dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"Sorry. I babbled again didn't I?" she asked embarrassedly. Feeling her cheeks heat up as she fidgeted with her glasses.

"Felicity, I get where you're coming from." Diggle replied nodding overlooking her mini rant. "But, you have to get that the Queen's haven't had it easy the past few years."

"I get that, John. But what can I do if no one wants to talk about anything. How am I supposed to do my job? I know there was an accident. So I know that's why Mr Queen is in a wheelchair. The information in his patient file was pretty limited. I remember reading something about it online but there wasn't much detail. But I bet you I'd get shut down as soon as I bring it up with the family." Felicity was really at her wit's end this problem.

Raisa looked at her undecidedly but then chose to continue. "There is a lot of чувство вины и сожаления my child."

"What?" she asked puzzled.

"How do you say? ...Guilt?" she attempted to clarify.

Felicity simply nodded. She understood how feeling guilty could affect the way people cope with issues. She had dealt with patients who didn't feel like they deserved to get better, who felt unworthy. So she waited for Raisa to explain some more.

Raisa didn't disappoint. "5 years ago, Mr Oliver and Mr Queen were in a terrible car accident. It was Mr Oliver's 22nd birthday. Mr Queen had gifted a sports car to Mr Oliver for his birthday. But there was a fight and Mr Oliver was very angry. He took the car out during a storm. Mr Queen went with him hoping to calm him down. But Mr Oliver lost control of the car due to over-speeding. Mr Queen's legs became disabled and he went into a coma for six months. Mr Oliver was hurt but not like Mr Queen."

Felicity covered her mouth and let out a shaky breath. Raisa carried on.

"Mrs Queen had to take care of everything. The family, company, and house. She had to become a different person. Ms Thea was so little. She cried a lot. Mr Oliver was a good boy with a good heart. He started to work and help his mother. Since then, everyone has changed. The house used to be… alive. Everyone was so happy. Mr Oliver and Mr Queen used to do archery together. Miss Thea would run behind her brother." she said wistfully. "And Mrs Queen would throw parties and laugh. But it all went away. After the accident, everything changed."

Felicity sat still and completely speechless.

Diggles radio crackled to life, disturbing the silence. "I guess my breaks up. Thank you for the tea Raisa." he said standing up to leave. "Felicity, I get why you want to leave. It may not look like it now. But I can tell you, since you arrived, things have already begun to change even if you can't see it. So if you decided to stay, you'll not just be helping a patient but an entire family. They need all the help they can get."

She looked up at Diggle, who went to put away his mug. She knew she wanted to help but was still having reservations about sticking around.

"I better get back. Just think about it ok." he smiled kindly.

Felicity turned to Raisa who was tidying up. "Raisa, do you think I should keep trying too?"

"My girl, the Queens are a stubborn bunch. But I have a feeling you can be pretty stubborn too, no?" she replied with an arch of her brow and a small smile.

Felicity made it back to her room later that night, contemplating what Raisa and Diggle had said.

She had been in Starling for almost a month without anything to show for it.

Was she giving up too easily? Could she really help? Her chat with Raisa was enlightening. She still may not know the details but at least now she could make more sense of it. It explained why the family was so stand-offish and difficult to deal with. And what Raisa had said about Mr Queen feeling guilty did explain his reluctance to get therapy.

There, as she lay in bed considering her options, she came to the conclusion that as a medical professional she has sworn an oath to do all she could to help her patients. So that made the decision clear.

She was staying. Now she just had to figure out her next move.

She was a certified genius. Surely she could figure out a way to convince her patients to follow her advice or at the very least to open up to her about his reservations.

"Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way." she muttered.

Then it suddenly occurred to her. She knew what she could do. It seemed so obvious now, she felt stupid for not thinking of it sooner.

She had a plan. Her eyelids drooped to a close as she began to doze off thinking about tomorrow.

_ Mr Queen, get ready to be Smoaked.  _ She smiled at her own pun as she fell asleep.


	6. Ch-ch-ch-Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver talks to Roberts. Felicity puts her plan into action.

Oliver had woken up earlier than usual this morning. Last night he had told himself that he would talk to his father about his therapy, like Felicity had suggested. He had slept fitfully, worried about how he would broach the subject of his father's physiotherapy when he hadn't spoken to his dad in the past 5 years. 

Now he was pacing a hole in the carpet outside his parents room. He could remember the last time he was this nervous. He had to tell his parents that he had been kicked out of his fourth college in four years. His parents were furious that he refused to act responsibly, and rightfully so. They had threatened to cut him off from his trust fund and demand that he begin to take an active part in the family business. He remembered angrily storming off, followed closely by this dad, and getting into his new convertible. 

It had all come crashing to an end. 

Oliver shook his head then took a steadying breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." he heard a muffled reply. 

Robert was sitting in his wheelchair,  facing the window and reading the newspaper. 

"Good morning, dad." Oliver said, trying to sound casual.

Robert turned suddenly, bewildered at the sight of his son. He folded the paper, put it down and turned his wheelchair to face him. He was at a loss for words. Although they saw each other passing around the house, and at the occasional family dinner, they never truly made the effort to talk to each other. The fact that Oliver had moved into another wing of the house didn't help matters either. So to say Robert was surprised would be an understatement.

"Son." It was all he could say as he stared at Oliver.

Oliver walked closer, and looked around unsure of what to do next. 

_ Start talking you idiot,  _ a voice in his head berated.

Robert considered his son. He seemed to have changed a great deal in the past 5 years. He was no longer the careless, misguided boy Robert once remembered. Before him stood a seemingly put together, mature young man. He was dressed smartly in a tailored grey suit, his hair cropped short and he now had a permanent five-o'clock shadow . He looked a lot like Robert had in his youth.  Yet he observed that Oliver looked worn-out, missing that spark he always had about him and as of that moment somewhat nervous.

Robert smiled at his son, happy to see him. "It's good to see you, Oliver."

Oliver sucked in a breath and attempted to smile back. Spotting a chair off to the side he picked it up and brought it close to where his dad was waiting and sat down. 

"How are you, dad?" Thinking it was best to ease into the conversation.

"Fine. Absolutely fine, thank you." Robert replied.

"That's good. Really good."

Oliver half-smiled and studiously avoided looking at his father. He shuffled in his seat. 

_Why is this so difficult?_ _Oh that's right, you haven't spoken to each other in 5 years, that's why!_

Robert was still curious about his son's unexpected visit and continued to watch him closely. A part of him couldn't help but feel elated that Oliver was finally trying to talk to him again. Even if the conversation seemed slightly awkward, it was more than they had spoken to each other in a long time. He could feel a spark of hope build in his chest. Maybe this could be the start they need to rebuild their relationship.

"Errr...How's your wine collection?" Oliver asked when he realised he had been quiet for some time. 

"It's fine." Robert  smiled, helpless to it as Oliver peered at him, looking nervous.

"Good." He answered, slightly cringing at his own reply. 

Pushing past the awkward start to the conversation he decided it would be best if he just came out and said what he had come to say. 

"Dad… I uh…" He hesitated. "So I was talking to your doctor, the new physiotherapist, Dr Felicity Smoak. She mentioned that you were reluctant to try exercising."

Robert's eyes and mind a flurry of confusion,  finally figuring out why Oliver had come to talk to him out of the blue. 

"Oh. So now she's the real reason you're here."  Robert gruffed. He turned his wheelchair back to face the window. 

"I think it might be time to get rid of this one too." He muttered. "I was hoping she would quit so I wouldn't have to fire her but that doesn't look like that's happening." 

Oliver sighed. "Hmm, yeah." He resigned himself to the fact that he knew nothing would come of this talk. He had known on some level that his father wouldn't open to this discussion. But the look of disappointment on Felicity's face had made him reconsider. This had only proven that he was right. 

"If you don't want therapy then that's okay I guess. That's your choice after all. I mean there really isn't a point in trying then is there?"  He said after a long moment of thick silence.

Robert remained silent and chanced a glance at his son. Oliver stood up to put his chair away. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked towards the door. 

Oliver cleared his throat and said, "Right. Um, well I have to get to work. I have a meeting with the accounting department this morning."

"Of course." Robert replied curtly. 

Oliver said with another sigh,  "It was nice talking to you dad." He hadn't anticipated the trueness of his words. It really was  _ nice  _ talking to his dad after all this time. They had been close when he was younger and even though they may not have agreed on the matter of Oliver's future, they did enjoy each other's company.

"Have a good day, son."  Robert said quietly, looking on regretfully as Oliver left the room. 

* * *

Felicity checked her watch, noting that Mr Queen would be arriving any moment now. She was sitting on the exam table, her legs swinging, not quite reaching the ground. Her fingers tapping on her thigh, impatiently.

Hearing the door open she quickly hopped off the table repositioned herself to look like she was casually leaning on the table and pretended to look at her phone. 

"Dr Smoak." Robert greeted her as Raisa rolled his chair to where she was standing. 

"Hmm? Oh! Hey Mr Queen." she answered as nonchalantly as possible looking up from her phone..

He frowned at her,  "Before you go any further, I want to make this clear. I think it might be time for us to end this arrangement." 

"Seriously?" she asked, looking pleasantly surprised. "I was thinking the same thing!" 

"What?" He had expected her to put up a fight.

Felicity bit the inside of her cheek to control her laughter. The look of confusion on Mr Queen's face was priceless. 

"I was thinking that we should make some changes to our original agreement too. I mean it's obviously not working. And I certainly can't force you into anything. You've proven that much this past month." she explained trying to sound as straightforward as possible. 

Robert stared at her with wide eyes trying to comprehend what she was saying. 

"So naturally I got to thinking that since I've come all the way here… and I'm staying in this house fit for royalty. I don't know when or if I'll ever get a chance like this again. I figured that if I'm not going to work then the least I could do is enjoy the perks before I leave, you know." She shrugged. 

"So how about from now on, I'm no longer Dr Smoak. I'm just Felicity." She beamed down at him.

"So you're saying that you won't make me exercise anymore?" He asked incredulously.

"Nope."  She said, popping the ‘p’ as she shook her head.

"And what happens if Moira finds out?" Robert sounded slightly apprehensively at the possibility of his wife discovering their change of plans.

"Other than you and me, only Raisa knows about it." Felicity smirked at the housekeeper. "So what do you say?"

He appeared to be buying what she was suggesting. He seemed almost amused by her idea. 

"Yes..." he agreed. "And Raisa here has been with our family for years. So there is no one better to trust with our little secret. Isn't that right Raisa?" 

Raisa resisted smiling at Mr Queen's response, but Felicity caught the mirth in her eyes. 

"Yes sir." she answered politely.

Turning to face Felicity once again, he asked "So if we're forgoing formalities, you can call me Robert. Tell me, Felicity do you like wine?"

Felicity grinned and nodded eagerly. "Why yes, Robert. I love wine! Red wine is my poison of choice." 

"Well then, how about we begin our new arrangement by introducing you to my wine collection." he said decidedly.

His suggestion elicited a gleeful clap from Felicity.  "Robert, I know we may not have had the smoothest start but I feel like this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." 

Raisa took Robert's chuckle as her signal and began to steer his chair out of the gym and towards the cellar.

Felicity unashamedly gaped at the sheer size of the Queen's wine cellar. 

_ They have a fracking wine cellar.  _

"And how am I still surprised by this?" she muttered under her breath.

She was suddenly embarrassed to admit to drinking her six dollar bottle she usually picked by from the grocery store. 

Robert explained how the cellar was organised, then began to teach her about the different  components of taste, the aroma wheel, grape varieties, wine and food matching, etc. Felicity listened diligently and enthusiastically asked questions. 

Robert then chose a bottle of his favourite merlot and they retired to his study. He poured them both a generous serving. 

As they fell into a comfortable silence. Felicity walked around the room, savoring her rich taste of wine as she took in the family photos that covered the shelves and tables.

"Oh my god, Thea was such a scrumptious lil' thing!" she cooed at a baby photo of the youngest Queen.

The next photo had her laughing out loud. "Is that Oliver, dressed as Robin Hood?!" 

Robert let out a bark of laughter. "It is. He was 7 when that photo was taken. It was the year I began to teach him archery. He loved it so much he decided he wanted to be Robin Hood for halloween. Green tights and all."

She giggled, looking at a young Oliver posing with his bow and arrow, with a big grin on his face and a tooth missing. 

A large ornate photo frame on Robert's desk caught her attention. 

"What's this?" she asked, picking it up to have a look.

"That my dear Felicity is what young love looks like." He answered with a wistful sigh.

The photograph was of Robert and Moira dancing at their wedding reception. A young, dapper looking Robert, dipping his beautiful bride who had a surprise on her face. 

Felicity passed Robert the photo. He looked longingly at it and ran his fingers over the black and white image. 

"I didn't think of you as the dancing type." Felicity teased.

Robert hummed in agreement. "Oh I definitely wasn't. Moria, she absolutely loved to dance. I knew she didn't expect me to dance a lot at our wedding. So I decided to surprise her. I had secretly been taking dancing lessons for weeks. They announced our first dance, we both got up and made our way to the center of the dance floor. When the song began, we gently swayed. She looked up at me and joked that it would be over soon. I think she saw the nervous look on my face. But then the slow song we were dancing to stopped and a more up tempo song began she was confused. I smiled and spun her out and pulled her back into my arms. I began leading her around the dance floor and she couldn’t control her laughter. Just as the song was ending, I asked her if she was ready for the big finale. When she nodded, I spun her around and then dipped her.”

He paused gazing intently at the image. “That photo was taken at that very moment. For our first anniversary she framed the photo and gave it to me as a gift. I took her dancing for every anniversary after that. But that time has long gone…and now so are my legs.”

Felicity felt her eyes well up and her heart went out to him. 

She gave him a watery smile. “Don’t worry Robert, that time may have been in the past but there is still fun to be had!”

* * *

The following day, Oliver skipped lunch with Laurel and hurried home to grab some papers he needed for a conference call later that day. 

He was frustrated that yet another meeting he had proposed with  Mr  Knyazev had fallen through this afternoon due to scheduling conflicts and family matters on  Mr  Knyazev's side. But Oliver was determined to bring this acquisition to fruition. 

He pulled out of his deliberation by the echoes of laughter fluttering through the corridor. He stopped in his tracks trying to determine where the sound was coming from. 

His curiosity got the better of him. He followed the sound to see what’s happening and came to a halt outside his dad's study. The door wasn't fully closed and he could hear what sounded to him like arcade music. A roar of what was definitely masculine laughter startled him. 

Oliver pushed the door open just enough to see though. He was pleasantly surprised to see his father and Felicity both facing the television with their backs to him. They appeared to be engaged in a game of Wii tennis. Felicity teasing Robert about his tennis skills. 

"30-Love. Come on Robert, I thought you said you had better hand-eye coordination than that," she taunted with a smug grin.

Robert narrowed his eyes and tried to repress a smirk. 

"Just play the game Smoak. That was just me warming up. Best two out of three remember." he retorted holding the controller with more purpose. 

"Ok then. Just remember you asked for this. Prepare to be  _ Smoaked _ my friend."

Oliver grinned at their playful banter. 

He had to admit that he felt a little jealous watching them spend time together. Yet he also liked seeing this side of his dad again. A side he didn't think he'd see after the accident. 

He pulled the door to a close and made his way to his room to pick up his papers.

The next day, he thought he heard muffled sounds from the home theatre room when he arrived home late. 

The theatre room was rarely used. In the past, Thea would invite her friends over to watch the latest movies at home. However, he didn't think that she did that anymore. 

He slowly walked into the room, trying not to disturb whoever was in there. The occupants didn't notice his entrance. Dr Smoak, Thea and his father all bathed in the blue glow of the screen, munching on popcorn and completely caught up with what was happening on the screen. 

On another day he walked into the library to find Robert and Felicity arguing over a game of Monopoly. His dad was accusing Felicity, who seemed to be the banker, of embezzlement.

The next day, when he arrived home late one night the music coming from the kitchen had him wondering who was up so late. He should have guessed it was something to do with the young doctor. Looking discreetly through the glass doors he found himself grinning at the sight. Some of the house staff including Digg, Raisa, Dr Smoak, Thea and most surprisingly this father, all sitting around the table, having Big Belly Burger. They all seemed to be having a small party of sorts. 

Oliver was thoroughly captivated by the sight of all these people chatting animatedly, enjoying the food and each other's company. Something he hadn't ever seen, even before the accident. Growing up as a Queen had often meant that he miss out on the more casual and normal things like casual dining, and his mother would never approve of dining at a fast food establishment. 

The look of contentment and joy on his father's face almost made Oliver envious. He wondered what they would say if he wandered in and sat down with them. His hand gripped the door knob. He drew a deep breath and backed away from the door and went straight to his room. 

* * *

Felicity sat on the bench in the rooftop garden and looked out over the Queen's property. It was technically her day off but since she never really worked it was like any other day. 

She had spent the morning with Robert, playing on the playstation and Wii. When Thea got home in the afternoon, they spent some time together chatting and painting their nails. 

She had left Thea to get on with her school work and retired to the rooftop garden. It had become her favourite spot. She needed the time to organise her thoughts and unwind before she Skyped her mom and Roy. 

The sun was setting, leaving a pink glow in the sky. There was a soft, cool breeze that made her shiver. Felicity felt goosebumps breakout over her arms. She had forgotten her cardigan in Thea's room and her floral, sleeveless sundress didn't do much to keep her warm. 

She may have forgotten her cardigan but she did remember what was really important. 

Wine. Delicious red wine. 

Felicity had carried a wine glass and bottle of pinot noir that Robert had given her. Opening the bottle of wine, she poured some into the glass. 

Oliver had seen Felicity make her way to the garden and decided to follow her. 

He had been looking for a chance to speak to her again. He had noticed the room light on, most nights when he got home. On occasion he heard her chatting to someone on the phone or singing along to music. He was always too reluctant to interrupt or maybe he was just scared. 

Scared and a little intimidated. She made him question himself. He found that he wanted to prove himself to her. He wanted her to like him. 

He had noticed how much time, his father, Thea, Raisa and even Diggle all gravitated towards her. They smiled more, laughed more and seemed free around the illustrious Dr Smoak. 

He longed for that feeling. That longing had been growing stronger over the past couple of weeks. 

He observed her quietly from a few feet away, watching her pour herself some wine and breath in the scent before taking a big sip.

Felicity's eyes slipped shut and she moaned loudly, relishing the flavour and smoothness of the fruity liquid. 

"Gawd, this is so much better than sex." she moaned to herself.

Oliver swallowed heavily at the sound. His eyes savouring the way she licked her lips. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he cleared his throat causing Felicity to yelp, almost spilling her wine in the process. 

“That’s the first time I’ve heard someone think that about wine. It also explains where dad’s wine collection is going.”

“You scared the crap out of me.” She admonished, holding her glass protectively. “And FYI, Robert gifted this bottle to me personally. No scratch that, he  _ bribed _ me with it so I don’t force him into exercising. But don’t mind me. Come on, sit down. Feel at home!”

Oliver grinned, welcoming her invitation and sat down beside her. 

He was wearing dark wash jeans and a grey henley. She noticed how it fit him perfectly, accentuating the broadness of his shoulders and his biceps.

_ Damnit, the snob is looking handsome. Control the babble, don't say anything to his face, Smoak.  _

Oliver looked out at the view, considering his words before speaking. 

Felicity bit her lip, holding back her thoughts as she gazed at his face. 

"Wine?" Felicity asked, holding out her glass to him. He smiled and accepted the glass. 

"Cheers!" She said, tapping the glass in his hand gently with the bottle and took a sip. 

Oliver shook his head at her antics and looked back out at the garden. 

"Doctor - " 

"Felicity." she corrected.

"Felicity. I don't know what your methods are but this past week I saw my dad happy after a long time. So I just wanted to say... thank you." Felicity felt her chest tighten at Oliver's small smile. 

She grinned back at him. "Oh Oliver. Just wait and see what happens next."

Oliver continued to stare at her in wonder. He didn't understand how she could be so optimistic and so giving all the time. 

_ What now?  _ He wanted to talk to her about his father and open up to her about what had happened 5 years ago. But before he could even think about where to begin, she spoke again.

"So… how's your fiance?" she inquired trying to fill in the silence, smiling a little too sweetly. "Laurel, right? Gorgeous Laurel."

Oliver looked at her, surprised at the abrupt change in topic. He nodded slowly. "She's good. Busy with an important case."

Felicity looked up at the sky, trying to avoid his intense gaze whenever he looked at her. It made her stomach flutter and her palms sweat. She tried not to think about what that might mean. 

"What about you?" he asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going. "Are you seeing someone?"

She scoffed and shook her head. "Nooooo. No dating and certainly no boyfriend."

Oliver didn't know why her answer put him a little at ease. 

"I'm completely off men." She stated. "They all expect me to be something I'm not or change myself for them. Guys keep trying to control everything. 'Don't do this Felicity...' 'Don't wear that...', 'Don't talk so much.' Anyway, it always ends badly and I end up processing my emotions over a pint of mint chip. I don't think I can handle any more of that, you know. So now the plan is just to enjoy life as it happens. And I will stop babbling in 3...2...1." She finishes finally taking a breath, blushing embarrassedly at her rant.

"So does that mean you'll be having another midnight party in the kitchen again tonight?" his tone slightly teasing.

"You saw that, huh?" She giggled. "Yeah, I convinced your father that he had to try Big Belly Burger and he somehow ended up shouting all the staff burgers for dinner too. You should have joined us. It was a good night."

Oliver just shook his head, looked down at his glass and took a sip. 

"What?" She asked, noticing his reaction.

"Nothing. I just don't have the time for all of that." he answered simply. 

Felicity sat up straight and put the bottle down.

"Yeah, Thea said the same thing, actually. Though, I did manage to convince her. She's a real force of nature once you get to know her."

"Speedy." Oliver said with a smile. At her puzzled expression, he explained. "She used to chase me around the house when she was younger. Like Speedy Gonzales."

"I can totally picture that." she agreed grinning, picturing a young Thea chasing after a teenage Oliver. The soft smile Oliver wore when he spoke about Thea told her what she needed to know. He adored his little sister. It made her wonder why they weren't so close anymore. 

"So does she really want to go to Yale or is she just going along with what your mother has planned for her?" Felicity already knew the answer to her question but she wanted to hear what Oliver had to say about it all. 

"Our mother only wants what is best for her children." He knew how it sounded but ever since he began working at QC he realised that his parents were right about all of this. He had been young, foolish and had no clue what he was doing with his life. It took an accident to realise that they had been right. So naturally, he thought that his parents knew what was best for Thea. 

"And what about what Thea wants? Has anyone bothered to ask her?" Felicity retorted, getting a worked up.

Oliver's brow furrowed as he met her gaze. He noticed she always seemed to get a small crinkle between her brows, and pursed her lips when got ready to argue with him. _How did she look so adorable and serious at the same time?_

"Felicity, this is the Queen family." He explained like that's supposed to mean something. "Going to a school like Yale, it's expected of us."

Felicity rolled her eyes dramatically. 

He continued. "Thea is a Queen. And she'll do what is best for her and this family." 

"What's best for her... how does someone else get to decide that?" she objected. "And I thought Donna had issues."

Oliver opened his mouth to retort but Felicity stood up suddenly and looked like she just remembered something important. 

"Donna! Shit, I can't believe I forgot our skype date! Ok, I'll see you around Oliver." she rushed, straightening her dress as scurried off.

Leaving behind a dazed and confused Oliver. 

* * *

Felicity didn't know what compelled her to bring it up, or why she thought now would be the right time to move onto phase 2 of her plan but once she opened her mouth, there was no stopping it. 

They had spent the whole day outside, enjoying the sunshine and the splendour or the grounds and gardens around the house. Robert had pointed out all the interesting sites around the property and told her stories about his youth. 

Felicity pushed his chair along in a comfortable silence. As they headed back towards the house, Robert spoke. 

"Felicity dear, thank you for today. I had a really good time. I don't remember the last time I spent so much time outside the house." he said smiling softly.

"Life can still be fun, Robert. You just haven't been allowing yourself to live it." she replied easily.

She rolled his chair into the house and stopped in the foyer.

"Robert," she said with a sigh, moving to crouch in front of him so she could look him in the eye as she said this.

"I know what happened 5 years ago. About the accident. It’s not your fault." she said softly. 

"These things can happen to anyone. You've been holding on to what happened and blaming yourself. The thing about guilt is that we just have to let it remind us to do better next time. Maybe there was more you could have done but you can't change that now. You need to let it go or moving ahead is going to be very difficult."

Felicity reached out to place her hand over his but Robert backed his chair away. She flinched at the abrupt movement. 

The lightness and cheer that was there a moment ago had disappeared from Robert's eyes. He shut himself off so quickly, it almost gave Felicity whiplash. 

Felicity closed her eyes and sighed heavily. Maybe she should have waited a little longer. Not pushed so hard and waited till he opened up about it himself. 

She stood up from where she was kneeling on the ground and headed back to her room. 

_ One step forward two steps back _ . 

Felicity wondered what she could possibly do to fix this.


	7. The Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tough conversations are finally had.

"What was that woman thinking?" Moira ranted as she passed back and forth in the study. "I don't know why I didn't send her back earlier. Is she even a doctor? Every time we see her she's jumping around, doing yoga or chatting. She's been keeping Thea from her school work. Always interfering in things that aren't her concern."

Oliver was stunned to see her looking so fraught. She was always the picture of poise and elegance. She requested he be present when she spoke to the doctor. 

"But dad has been looking so happy these days." Oliver reasoned from where he sat on the sofa. 

She sighed and took a seat beside her son. "Yes, well that's the reason I haven't sent her off yet. But she crossed the line Oliver. I may not have said anything till now but I'm going to put an end to it today."

Before they said anything else, there was a knock on the door. 

"That'll be her now." Moira steeled herself. Putting on her mask of composure and answered. "Come in."

"Mrs, Queen." Felicity greeted as she entered. "You asked to see me."

"I did. Have a seat, Dr Smoak." she gestured to the armchair opposite her. 

Felicity nervously glanced quickly at Oliver who sat beside his mother. He gave her a small smile. She didn't know if it was meant to be reassuring or whether he was trying to be polite. 

"Do you know why I requested this meeting, Doctor?" 

Felicity shifted nervously in her seat. "I'm guessing it has something to do with my talk with Rob- Mr Queen." 

Moira paused. "Doctor, none of us have ever brought up the incident in the past 5 years. So help me understand what made you think it was okay for  _ you _ to bring it up?"

Felicity looked between mother and son. Oliver was looking just past her, not meeting her eye.  _ Avoidance, great!  _ She thought sardonically. 

Moira was looking at her expectantly. 

Felicity realised she was supposed to say something. She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly feeling dry.  _ Keep it professional, Smoak. _

"He's my patient Mrs Queen." She began, keeping her voice soft but neutral. "Half his problem is his guilt." 

Hearing this, Oliver turned his attention to her immediately. Why would his father be feeling guilty? If anyone should be racked with guilt, it was himself. 

"If he faces it and comes to terms with it, there is a lot of scope for improvement." she said as sincerely as possible. “Maybe...there's a good chance he could walk again."

Moira squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes, her icy glare was directed at Felicity. Moria was seething.  _ How dare this woman? _

"There is no need to give Robert false hope, Doctor. We have left no stone unturned in his care. If that was even a possibility why hasn't any of the other doctors said as much?" she shook with anger. 

Oliver reached out and took hold of his mother's hand, hoping to calm her down. He avoided looking directly at Felicity. Choosing to stare at his mother's hand in his. He was having a hard time wrapping his brain around what she had said about his father's guilt. 

"I'm his doctor, Mrs Queen." She reiterated firmly. "I'm not simply going to lose hope of him getting better. You're not convinced. I understand. But as long as I'm here, I'll do the best I can for my patient."

Saying her piece, Felicity stood up and walked out without looking back. She still felt their sharp gazes on the back of the neck until she shut the door on her way out. 

Moira got up and walked to her desk, looking frantically for her phone.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Oliver got up and followed her.

"I'm going to call Dr. Snow and request that she replace Dr. Smoak herself or we can find another physiotherapist." she said as she continued to look around her desk. 

"Mom, please sit down." he directed her towards a chair. 

"She crossed the line Oliver. You cannot expect me to let this pass." Moira argued. 

"How about you let me talk to Dr. Smoak first?" he reasoned. "Maybe we can find another way to solve this."

Moira looked up at her son and centred herself. Her beautiful boy had grown up so much and here he was trying to support her. She felt her anger subside and nodded.

Oliver gave her a small smile and leaned down to hug her.

"We'll figure this out." he spoke into her hair. He let go and took a step back. "I'll go and speak with her right now. If we can resolve this we'll call Dr Snow first thing tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright." Moira replied faintly, her attention fixed on the photo of Robert and herself dancing on the wedding day.

* * *

Felicity yanked the freezer door open and was immediately hit with a blast of cold air. It helped to cool down her flushed face. 

She rummaged through and found a pint of mint chip at the back. Finding a spoon she walked out into the warm afternoon sun and sat down on a lawn chair facing the gardens. 

"Calm down Felicity. Just breath. In - out - in - out." she spoke to herself. 

She scooped a large spoonful of ice cream and put it in her mouth just as Oliver joined her outside. 

Felicity glared at him, unable to speak around the food in her mouth.  She didn't like the twinkle in his eyes. 

Oliver pursed his lips and bit back a smirk. She looked ridiculously adorable when angry. "I was wondering where all the ice cream was disappearing to."

Felicity frowned at him, her eyes narrowed as she swallowed the last of the ice cream. 

"Was that the last straw? Are you going to fire me for eating all your ice cream? Because let me tell you, this is all your fault. Your family is the reason I'm stressed in the first place and when I'm stressed I stress eat." She said aggressively pointing the spoon at him. 

He looked down at his feet, a red tint on his cheeks. "Yeah that's what I wanted to talk to you about. My family..." He caught himself. 

She continued to glare at him. She wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone's emotional constipation right now. Either he says something or leaves her alone to eat her ice cream in peace.

Oliver moved to sit on the chair opposite her, their knees brushing lightly and his hands clasped together. 

"Earlier in the study..." he began hesitantly. "You said something that's been playing on a loop in my head."

She raised her eyebrows in question. She said a lot of stuff, he was going to have to be more specific than that. 

"You said that half my father's problem was his guilt." he elaborated. "I guess… it wasn't what I was expecting."

"What  _ were _ you expecting?" she asked quizzically starting to feel a bit confused. 

He shook his head. "I take you've heard a version of what happened 5 years ago." he said. Felicity nodded in acknowledgement unsure of what she could say. 

"I just wanted clarify what really happened not just what others seem to think happened 5 years ago." 

"Oliver you don't have to tell me anything. I get that it was traumatic and I don't want you to feel like you have to explain yourself to me. I mean I know enough to help my patient..." she tried to ...

"No, I uh- I'd like to explain. I haven't really talked about it before -" Felicity was surprised to hear this. Surely he had spoken to his mother or even his fiance. "... and maybe it could help dad."

"Okay, if that's what you'd like." she replied softly, surprised and pleased that he was willing to share his story with her.

He took a deep breath. "5 years ago, I was a different person. I was kicked out of my 4th college in 4 years and that wasn't even the worst part. A girl I had a one night stand with had told me she was pregnant. I was freaking out and I didn't handle the news well. A couple of weeks later she called me to tell me that she lost the baby. I was relieved, I wasn't ready to be a dad and I certainly wasn't looking forward to telling my parents." 

Oliver could barely look in her direction as he spoke. "I waited a few days after my 22nd birthday to tell them. I knew they would be mad but I thought that they'd just yell, give me the disappointed look for a few days and then it would blow over like it always had. I was wrong about that. They were fed up and furious. It turns out drunkenly peeing on a cop car on top of everything else was where they drew the line." he said the last part with a wry smile. 

"Anyway… they threatened to cut me off from my trust fund and decided that it would be good for me to take an active part in the family business. I obviously wasn't too happy with being told what to do with my life. I petulantly threw a tantrum about it and ran off. I decided to take a drive to calm down but mostly it was so that I could avoid my parents. Dad, he followed me and got in the car and refused to leave until we talked things out" He paused to take a shaky breath. She could see that sharing this with her wasn't easy for him.

"It had been raining all day and it had only gotten worse that night. I drove off, dad sat in the passenger seat and tried to reason with me but I wouldn't listen. I was driving way over the speed limit, trying to focus on the road but I couldn't do that with him constantly taking so I turned and shouted at him to shut up."

Oliver looked up, his eyes were glassy and he had a far off look like he was reliving the accident. Felicity sat still not daring to interrupt. Her ice cream was completely forgotten and melting in the heat. 

"Just as I said it, there was a loud honk and a car was hurtling towards us. I swerved to dodge it but I lost control. The next thing I know, I was waking up in hospital. They told me about the accident but I couldn't remember it clearly. I got away with a couple of broken bones and a concussion. My dad, he- he wasn't so lucky. His spine was damaged, he had to have major surgery. He was in a coma for 6 months."

Felicity reached down and slipped her hand into his, squeezing reassuringly. He looked at their joined hands and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. He looked up straight into her eyes to find her gazing at him. He was expecting her to look at him with pity but he only saw support and empathy like he had never felt before. 

"About a month after the accident, I noticed that my mom was barely coping. She wasn't sleeping or eating. She was trying to manage everything herself. I decided it was time I do something about it. Thea was still so young and she cried a lot but she had school and friends to focus on." he said sadly. 

Sounding more resigned he added. "Everything that happened, it was my fault after all. I promised her I'd step up, and I did. I went back to college, got my degree and then I started working at QC. It turns out I was pretty good at it all and I actually enjoyed it. It only took me a major accident and my relationship with my family to find out."

His eyes moved back up to her, impossibly soft and vulnerable, still holding her hand. Oliver was staring at her. She wished she could say something. 

"I don't know what to say..." she mumbled.

"I didn't tell you this to make you feel sorry for me ...or my family. That's the last thing I want." he replied, pulling his hand away, missing her delicate touch almost immediately. Feeling off kilter, not knowing what to do with himself, he stood up and began to pace. 

"When you said that my dad was feeling guilty, earlier...I couldn't understand why. If it was anyone's fault. It was mine. I was a stupid, selfish kid. I wasn't ready to grow up so I threw a hissy-fit. That's what caused all of this." He said as he ran his hand through his hair. 

Felicity didn't blame him for feeling that way. She remembered blaming herself when her dad left. No matter what her mother said to reassure her, those feelings seemed impossible to erase. How could she expect him to feel any differently? 

"Oliver I understand why you might be feeling that way. But it's been 5 years. I don't know how holding on to any of this will change what happened." She stood up too and walked over to him entering his personal space, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. "I said this to your dad and now I'm going to say this to you.  What you need to remember about guilt is that we can't let it dictate our lives. We just have to let it remind us to do better next time."

Oliver looked at her and  started to shake his head, to pull away, but Felicity took hold of his hand once again not letting him get far. She resisted the urge to pull him into a hug. He was clearly feeling vulnerable, she didn't want to make him feel any more awkward.

"Robert and you are both alive and healthy. I know you've put some distance between yourself and the rest of the family but this isn't helping anyone. I know for a fact that it isn't helping your dad. He can get better but he just won't let himself because he doesn't think he's worth the effort. You both need to forgive yourselves and each other." she sounded so unwavering, Oliver felt inclined to believe her. In that moment, Oliver found himself leaning in. Caught in the moment by her strength, her compassion.

As soon as she spoke she noticed some movement through the glass doors behind Oliver. Raisa was pushing Robert into the sitting room. The timing couldn't be more perfect. This was her chance. She was going to do something to fix all of this. 

Oliver's focus was broken as she walked past him and tugged him along with her, not letting go of his hand. 

"Felicity, what -" Oliver began to question as Felicity walked determinedly into the house in the direction she saw Raisa go earlier. 

"Robert Queen!" Felicity called out loudly startling Raisa, who immediately stopped pushing Robert's wheelchair.

Oliver noticed his father's movements falter at the sound of her voice. He was suddenly nervous about what was going to happen. Oliver had never seen anyone speak to his father this way. His mother was the only exception. 

Robert began to push his own chair, turning a deaf ear to her.

"Robert! Stop!" she called out again, this time letting go of Oliver's hand and walking towards Robert. 

Raisa tried to intervene and keep her from going any further. "Felicity, dear I don't think that now is the best time..." she spoke tentatively.

"Raisa, please move. I need to have a word with my patient." Felicity said moving past her, leaving no room for Raisa to argue with her. 

Oliver stood silently at the entrance to the room watching all of this unfold. 

Felicity stood in front of Robert's chair, leant down and placed her hands on the arms of the chair, effectively blocking his exit and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"Since you can't run. You'll just have to listen to what I have to say." she began as Robert slumped in his chair. He clenched his jaw and looked at her stubbornly.

"Maybe I'm just another doctor to you but for me, patients aren't just part of my job." Robert rolled his eyes at her but she continued. "If you think you can be stubborn, then you're lucky you haven't met a Smoak woman before."

Raisa smirked at Felicity's passionate speech, changing a glance at the other Queen in the room who seemed to be doing the same. 

"What I don't seem to understand is why on earth you don't want to get better? If you really didn't want to get well then why did you bother hiring me?" Robert held her gaze, refusing to speak. "In case you've forgotten, you still have your family here with you. Your son, your daughter; don't you at least want to get better for their sake?"

Robert closed his eyes and turned his face away, breathing heavily.

"I understand that Mrs Queen hasn't been easy to live with through this entire ordeal. But can you honestly blame her? How else could she have coped? She had to handle everything and here you are in love with your damn wheelchair."

Robert snapped his head back towards her, his eyes narrowed, his jaw still clenched. 

"You've been living with 5 years worth of guilt, Robert. It's time for this to end...And as long as I'm here, I will keep waiting for you at 10 o'clock every morning until you decide to get your head out of your ass!"

Oliver found himself moving forward towards the pair. It was like his feet had a mind of their own. Hearing Felicity speak to his father, he realised that he was as much at fault as his dad. He was living with the guilt too. He hadn't realised how his choice to pull away and avoid his feelings was affecting everyone else. It had been five years of his life where nothing good happened but nothing bad either. He wasn't really living. In that moment he realised he wanted to. Oliver wanted to live and it was about time he did something about it. 

"I hope I've made my intentions clear." Felicity stated, taking a step back and moving to the side. "Now you can leave."

Felicity walked past Oliver, briefly nodding in his direction before leaving the room. As she made her way up the stairs she felt more at ease.

_ There, I said what I had to. Now the rest is up to them. _

* * *

Robert sat, unmoving looking vacantly out in front of him.

Felicity’s words on repeat in his brain.

A gentle hand on his shoulder brought out his thoughts.

“She was right, dad.” Oliver’s voice was soft and calm. “We’ve both been holding on to this for too long.”

Robert placed his hand over his son’s. He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling the knot in his chest loosen.

“So I guess we should talk then.” Robert replied quietly. “I think it’s long overdue.”

Oliver hummed in agreement and pushed the wheelchair closer to the settee so he could sit down.

They looked at each other for a moment, coming to grips with everything.

Robert was the first to speak. “I’m sorry son.”

“Dad, I - ”

“Oliver, please let me say this.” He said, taking a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for forcing you to join the company. I knew that wasn’t what you wanted. But I was so blinded by my dreams of sharing the family legacy with my son that I imposed QC on you. I pushed you so much that you felt the need to run away. Even then, I didn’t back down. I should have just let you cool off and then tried to talk to you. If I had done that, instead of getting in the car and distracting you…” his voice trailed off.

“Dad, you have to know that I don’t blame you for the accident.” Oliver implored.

Robert shook his head. “It’s okay, son. I know some part of you is still angry. It’s why you avoided me for so long. You never came to visit at the hospital when I came out of my coma. You moved to the other wing of the house. You never seem to make it to family dinners. If that proves anything, you’ve been trying too hard to stay away from me.”

A single tear slid down from Oliver’s warm, blue eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed it's way down his pale cheek, releasing the sadness that had been held inside of him for all this time.

“It wasn’t because I blamed you.” He whispered. “I – I blamed myself. I still blame myself. It was my fault dad.” His voice trembled.

“I did something stupid and careless. You and mom had every right to be angry with me. You were trying to discipline me. I understand that now. I may not have wanted to work at QC then but I also had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. You were trying to help and give me some direction but I threw a tantrum and ran away. I made the choice to get into the car. I drove off in the middle of a storm. I chose to be that careless kid. And because I didn’t watch where I was going, I caused that accident. It was my fault.”

Robert tried to hold the tears that threatened to leave his eyes.

“When I woke up in hospital and found out what happened to you because of me… when I found out that you were in a coma. It didn’t know how to handle it. So I pulled away. I saw how mom was struggling to keep things afloat. Then I realised that I could do something to make up for my stupid mistakes. So I decided to finish my degree and join the company. When you got out of the hospital I thought that you would hate me for everything that happened. So I kept away. I continued to work because I thought that if I could at least do the one thing you wanted from me then that would have to be enough. I didn’t think you would be able to forgive me for putting you in that chair.”

Robert’s eyes were burning and his chest felt heavy. He could no longer see clearly.

“Oliver, my boy. I never blamed you. So there is nothing to forgive.” Robert explained, reaching for his son’s hands that were clenched into fists. “But if that’s what it takes to let go of all of this…if that’s what it takes for you to forgive me too. Then, I forgive you.”

Oliver launched himself forward at his father’s words, he pulled him into a fierce embrace.

“I forgive you too. I’m so sorry it took so long. I love you, dad.” Oliver's words were muffled by Robert’s shirt.

Robert stroked his son’s head soothing, “I love you too son.”

Oliver pulled back after a few moments. Composing himself he gave his father a small, genuine smile.

“I know I haven’t said this but I’ve thought it so many times in the past five years. I’m so proud of you. Of what you’ve achieved. Seeing you take over QC even though it wasn’t under the best circumstances… it just proved to me what I’ve always known you could do, who you could be.” Robert smiled broadly at his son, patting him on the knee.

Olver ducked his head, cheeks heating up at his father’s compliment.

“Thank you. I uh – I never saw myself doing this but once I started taking part, I found that I really enjoyed it. I seemed to be good at it and the board surprisingly agreed.” He chuckled as he replied.

Robert’s response was cut off but the shrill ring of Oliver’s cellphone.

“Sorry, I need to take this. It’s my assistant” Oliver said apologetically.

“Oliver, I understand. We can finish this conversation later. You heard the doctor, it’s not like I can run anywhere.” He countered with a grin.

Oliver returned the grin and shook his head. “She’s a little scary, isn’t she?”

Robert nodded. “Go on. We can discuss my scary doctor some other time.”

“Ok. I’ll see you later then.” Oliver walked out of the room to take the call.

Robert smiled to himself, sat back and let the happiness soak right into his bones. He had missed this feeling. He and Oliver might be on the road to healing but there was more work to be done. Yet no matter how bad things were, how angry he felt a few minutes ago, now he just knew that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Felicity was dressed in her pajamas as she lay in bed and waited for her skype call to connect.

Seeing her mother’s face she didn’t bother greeting her and jumped straight into what was bothering her.

“I think I might have said too much. Way to much. So much talking”

_ “Nope, you did the right thing.” _ Donna answered without any hesitation.

“How would you know that? You weren’t there. I’m totally going to be fired now.” She bemoaned as she dropped her head into her hands.

_ “Honey, I know you. You wouldn’t say anything intentionally hurtful. That’s not who you are. Whatever you may have said, it was probably true.” _

“Well, I might have used my loud voice…”

_ “They must have deserved it.” _

Felicity scoffed at her mother. “Yeah well, these people never talk to each other. I finally had enough."

"Anyway, forget it. What’s done is done. I can’t take that back.” She said resigning herself to her fate. So, tell me what’s happening with you?” she tried to change the subject but Donna didn’t want to play along.

_ “Nuh-uh, you tell me… how’s Ol-i-ver?” _ Donna asked teasingly.

“He’s uh – he’s ok I guess. He’s been kind of sweet lately. And he opened up to me about the accident that happened 5 years ago.” She hoped she sounded casual and not like she was looking too much into it. Because she wasn’t thinking about the sad look in his eyes or the warmth of his touch. Nope, she totally wasn’t.

_ “I knew it!” _ Donna retorted, she pointed at Felicity through the screen.  _ “I knew he would have a change of heart. Didn’t I tell you to give him a chance? Maybe you should listen to my advice more often.” _

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna go to bed, now. I’ll call and update you tomorrow.”

_ “Ok sweetheart. Good night.” _

* * *

Felicity checked her watch, noting that it was almost 10am. She was sitting on the exam table, her legs swinging, not quite reaching the ground. 

Would Robert even show up? Or should she begin packing because Mrs Queen was going to fire her as soon as she found out about Felicity using her loud voice and reading Robert Queen the riot act? 

Felicity heard the grandfather clock being to chime reminding her of the time. Robert had yet to arrive. Felicity decided to wait it out. Her morning session was supposed to end at noon. She would wait till then.

By half past ten she pulled out her yoga mat and began to stretch. She need to do something to occupy her time until he showed up. 

At least she hoped he would. 

At 11am she pulled out her tablet and resumed a chess game she started a couple of days ago. 

She has been staring at the screen so long, determined to win the game, she didn't hear the sound of the door opening and the wheelchair rolling into the room. 

Robert came to a stop beside the chair where Felicity sat. He glanced at the screen and waited for her to become aware of his presence. When she didn't notice him, he decided to speak up.

"Knight to F4." 

"Wait, what?" she muttered confusedly.

"Check and mate." 

At that, Felicity turned and gawked at Robert. Then she jumped up and squealed with happiness. 

"You're here!" Felicity pulled him into a hug.

"You did say that I should come see you once I got my head out of my ass." Robert chuckled as he replied. 

Felicity pulled back and grinned at him and bit her lower lip. "So you're really ready to do this?"

Robert smiled softly and nodded. "I am."

"Well then, I think we should get started immediately!" she stated emphatically. 

Her enthusiasm felt contagious. Robert was beginning to look forward to the possibility of walking once more. It finally seemed like a real possibility.


	8. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Oliver spend some time together outside the manor and Felicity gets into some trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I'm back. Sorry for the wait everyone. Writer's block is the worst as I've discovered. Work has been crazy and I've taken on a lot more responsibilities so I've fallen a little behind. I hope you're all well and I really hope that you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Please be patient with me, I am trying to get it written as fast as I can whilst also having to do it around working. 
> 
> Thanks again for all your wonderful comments :D
> 
> Enjoy :D
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or any of its characters. They belong to The  
> CW and DC Comics.

"Come on Robert. Just 10 more to go.” Felicity’s voice was firm yet encouraging.

Robert's only reply came in the form of a grunt.

“Keep going… 5…4…3…2…1!” She set his leg down and passed him his bottle of water, which Robert gratefully accepted.

In the month since they restarted their therapy sessions, Robert had shown significant signs of improvement. He had shown up each day ready to give it his best shot. They had started off easy, with low resistance training and short sets of workouts and gradually increased the resistance and range of motion. They’d managed to settle into a harmonious arrangement. Robert’s physical therapy sessions dominated the majority of their days; it delighted Felicity to be able to focus on what she excelled at, while doing her utmost to get Robert to rebuild the relationship with his family.

“Okay, break’s over. Let’s get back to work.” She stated after seeing that the allotted 2-minute break was over.

“Felicity…” Robert began in protest.

“Robert, nice try but we need to keep at it. This is our last one for the morning session. If you get through this, the afternoon session will be much more relaxed.” Felicity replied happily walking back towards him to resume the workout.

Robert groaned, but took it in stride. Although he was exhausted, he felt much stronger than he had a couple of weeks earlier. He had noticed his progress and it was gratifying to see the effort he put in get results. Especially when not too long ago he had given up hope of ever walking again. Felicity had gotten through to him on a level that no one else had and he was so grateful for her stubborn determination.

However, as thankful as he was for her refusing to give up on his physiotherapy, he felt more indebted to her for helping him fix his relationship with his family. Felicity’s candidness and open hearted nature had led him to rebuild the relationship with his children.

Thea had been spending more time with him after she came home from school and weekends, whether it was watching a movie or playing a board game, she made the effort to talk to him about what was going on in her life. Oliver too had been more willing to continue to talk to him after they had finally resolved some of their past wounds. He often made the effort to check on Robert’s therapy sessions and talk about what was happening at work. Oliver had even attempted to join the family for at least one meal on most days, either breakfast or dinner. That had even pleasantly surprised Moira.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Robert hadn’t realised that the session had ended.

“Alright, you’re done for this morning,” Felicity said, walking over to him.

Roberts’s response was a grunt as he slumped back into his wheelchair with Felicity’s help.

Felicity was about to explain what she had planned for the afternoon session, when she saw Robert's face light up. She knew that look. His eyes shone with pride, happiness and a glint of something else that she couldn’t name. A bright smile took over his tired face. It was one that was recently becoming more common and it only seemed to come about when Oliver was around. The sight never failed to warm her heart.

Felicity bit back a smile and tried to sound annoyed as she spoke, “Oliver, since I no longer have your father’s attention,” she playfully glared at Robert “could you please remind him that our afternoon training session will be at the pool at 3pm.”

Oliver released a huff of breath just as his father whined, “Doctor Smoak, have some pity for these old legs of mine.”

Felicity simply rolled her eyes and went about tidying up the equipment.

* * *

Oliver entered the room quietly and fondly watched the interaction. 

He tried to control his laughter at Felicity's teasing but it came out as a huff of air. 

He liked seeing his father happy and Felicity seemed to make that possible so easily. Felicity with her blonde curls, radiant smile, and colourful outfits that always seemed to fit her like a glove – not that he paid it that much attention. 

They talked to each other more now. Mostly, it was small talk about his father, or what they had planned for the day. He had come to find her babbling to be endearing and he liked learning more about her. They gave away little clues about the enigma that was Doctor Felicity Smoak. Sometimes he found her on the rooftop garden, and they would sit together as she babbled and he listened , occasionally sharing a bottle of wine before one of them had to leave.

Oliver was unaware that he spent the last minute staring at her.

“Oliver!” His father’s voice seemed to finally pull him out of his musing. Felicity however seemed unfazed by it and went about tidying up as usual.

Oliver blinked a few times. “Hmmm..." 

It took him a beat to remember why he was there, "Dad... I wanted to let you know that I finally managed to get meeting with Mr. Knyazev this afternoon. If all goes well I might go to Starling National and speak with Walter later."

Robert smiled proudly, “That’s great, son.” Oliver had been keeping his father updated on the family business and asking for his views and advice. It had initially stunned Oliver but now he was glad that this was another thing they could connect over. Oliver got the feeling that it made his father feel valued and useful, which he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Do me a favour, will you? Why don’t you take Felicity with you?”

“ _What?”_

“- What?” 

Felicity and Oliver spoke simultaneously.

Robert grinned at their reactions. They both froze and stared at him.

Oliver carefully regarded his father. What was he up to?

"Robert, I don't think -" Felicity began to object.

"Felicity, you have been working so hard since you got here. I appreciate it but I think we could both use a break. It's just one afternoon. I promise we'll be back on track tomorrow. You haven't had a chance to see the city yet..." Felicity's eyes flicked over Robert's face, contemplating his motives for a moment before sighing. 

"Fine. But just this once." she countered, pointing her finger at him. 

Refusing to see Robert's cheeky grin, "I guess I better go change then," she added as she left the room.

Oliver spoke as soon as she was out of sight. "Dad, I'm going to be in a meeting. I can't be her personal tour guide."

"You're going near the bay right? That's where Knyazev's restaurant is, if I remember correctly."

"Yes dad, but -"

"Oliver, you can go to your meeting and she can look around the bay area till you're done. It'll give her a chance to see the city instead of being cooped up here… And it would give my weary legs some rest too," Robert finally revealed the real reason for his suggestion. 

Oliver stubbornly agreed, his lips pursed in a tight smile.

"Okay, I guess that means you have the day off. Have fun." He patted his dad's shoulder before leaving.

Before Oliver was out of earshot he heard Robert proclaim enthusiastically. "Raisa, I think we can get out the wine. I have the day off!" 

* * *

Diggle drove the Bentley down the driveway and out the property gates. Oliver painstakingly avoided looking at Felicity who was sitting beside him. He made sure to keep his gaze firmly on his phone or out the window. 

To say he was spellbound when she stepped out of the house earlier would be an over statement. Surprised. Surprised was a better word for it. Momentarily caught off guard, rather. 

He'd seen her in pajamas, gym clothes and on occasion dressed casually around the house but this was certainly not what he was expecting.

She wore a red ruffle skirt, a cropped sleeveless white top and strappy black shoes. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail, the wavy golden tresses draped over her shoulders. She wasn’t wearing her glasses and kept the other accessories to a minimum. A plain silver necklace and a white leather watch and a handbag. 

He had always thought she was a beautiful woman. Although he didn't like to admit it since she was his father's doctor and he was engaged. He wasn't supposed to think of her in that way. Yet he found it increasingly harder to stop. 

The blonde in question had been quiet for the past 10 minutes but looked like she was debating the need to speak. She chewed on her bottom lip, and kept glancing at him. Oliver knew she wanted to fill the silence. She seemed to finally give in.

"So Oliver… who are we meeting with today?" she questioned while looking at the scenery, in an attempt to look casual.

" _I_ am meeting Anatoly Knyazev, he owns and manages a restaurant and inn near the waterfront." 

"And why exactly are _you_ meeting with him?" she probed. This time turning her body to face him.

"Because,” he sighed heavily, acting more annoyed than he was, “QC wants to buy it off him but he doesn't want to sell."

"Okay, but why does he _have_ to sell? Isn't that his choice?" Felicity returned. 

“It is his choice. But he can’t afford to keep it going. QC has plans to develop the bay area,” Oliver explained. He didn’t bother to go into more detail. 

“But only _if_ he sells it, right?” 

Oliver huffed in annoyance. It was like she was purposely trying to push his buttons. 

She turned back and rummaged through her purse for something. She gave a little fist pump, pulling out her lipstick. She used the camera as a mirror and began to apply it.

Oliver’s retort that he could be very persuasive vanished the moment he caught a glimpse of her painting her lips. He didn’t understand how watching her do something as simple as applying lipstick could leave him feeling roused and calm at the same time. Whenever Felicity was around he found his thoughts diverted to her by default. Her presence sparked, yet soothed something inside his very being. There was a feeling of rightness that he felt when he was in her presence but he wasn’t ready to really explore what that meant just yet. 

Especially not before he walked into a long awaited meeting.

\---

Felicity regarded the waterfront as Digg pulled the car over in front of an old building. The sign on the window and awning read _Vodka Room Restaurant and Inn._ The red paint had faded and chipped in some places. 

She realised that Oliver had already gotten out of the car and Diggle was on the passenger side, holding the door open for her. She smiled and thanked him as she got out. Felicity walked over to the entrance of the restaurant where Oliver stood. 

"Doc- Felicity, before we go inside, this meeting is really important. I would appreciate it if you could... _control_ yourself." Oliver raised his eyebrows in question as he held the door open for her.

"Hmm...Oh. No babbling. Gotcha. Control is my middle name - actually is Megan - but you didn't need to know that and I will stop in 3, 2, 1." She took a deep breath and folded her lips to keep from talking. Felicity walked in, and missed the small uptick of Oliver's lips as he shook his head at her.

She gazed around the inside of the restaurant completely wide eyed. The exterior didn't do the interior justice. It was a charming space with exposed-brick walls, wood decor. The walls were lined with old photos, posters and paintings. Although empty, the room felt warm and casual. She could imagine a place like this bustling with customers, music playing in the background, the aroma of freshly cooked food wafting through the air. 

A couple of staff members moved around, setting up tables and cleaning the glassware behind the bar. Oliver walked up to the barman and spoke quickly in a language she guessed was Russian. The barman nodded and left quickly. 

Oliver made his way back towards where she stood still looking around. 

"I'll be in a meeting for around 30 mins to an hour. You could have lunch here if you'd like or Digg could take you somewhere else, there are plenty of restaurants by the pier." 

"Oh, I thought that we could --"

"Oliver Queen." A loud Russian voice left Felicity's thoughts unfinished. Both Oliver and Felicity turned to see a short bearded man, in a grey suit that seemed large and ill fitted to his smaller stature, make his way to them. 

"Mr Knyazev." Oliver answered with a polite nod of the head and an outstretched hand. 

The man in question accepted the handshake before turning at once towards Felicity, who stood a couple of feet behind Oliver observing their interaction. 

"And who is your lovely companion?" Anatoly questioned with a twinkle in his eye. 

Oliver cleared his throat, "Dr Felicity Smoak, my father's physiotherapist. Felicity, this is Anatoly Knyazev."

"Hi, " she shook his outstretched hand with a bright smile, "nice to meet you. Your restaurant seems lovely."

"Thank you, my father purchased the building and opened this restaurant when he came here from Russia," Anatoly replied with a proud smile. He glanced back at Oliver then, his smile turning into a smirk, "Let's get you a drink and I can tell you some more about my restaurant. Are you hungry? You must try our pelmeni."

"Mr Knyazev, should we finish our meeting first?" Oliver interrupted before Anatoly could go any further. 

"Oliver, my boy," The older man sighed and looked at Oliver questioningly, "here, I have a choice between a beautiful doctor and a boring business deal. I already know what I am choosing, what about you?" 

Felicity bit her lip to stifle a giggle before accepting Anatoly's outstretched arm, guiding her to a table that was being set up for their lunch. 

Oliver knew then that his plans to close the deal wouldn't be going any further. At least not today. 

_\---_

Oliver sighed as they drove away from the restaurant. 

"Anatoly seems like a nice guy," Felicity commented, a small grin on her face. 

"He is." Oliver looked slightly irritated. "He called the meeting today and then he found a way to avoid it. One look at an attractive woman and he completely forgot that we were there to close a business deal."

"Wait," She turned towards him and smirked, her voice taking on a teasing tone, "so you think I'm _attractive_?" 

Oliver huffed, he felt his ears getting hot and he noticed Dig's knowing look in the rearview mirror. "Of course that's what you took out of that sentence," he spoke gruffly, looking out the window hoping she didn't notice his embarrassment. 

Felicity rolled her eyes before she took on a more serious tone, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm." He acknowledged her with a raised eyebrow.

"You could be a little sensitive about it, can't you? I mean Mr Knyazev is selling his family legacy. It's not an easy thing."

"I know," sounding too apathetic for Felicity's liking, "but he dug his own grave."

"People make mistakes. It's not like you haven't made any mistakes before." 

Oliver huffed in annoyance. Why did she care so much about a business deal that had nothing to do with her. "I made my fair share of mistakes when I was younger, I'll admit. But I've tried very hard not to, since."

Felicity became aware that the car had come to a stop in the central business district of the city, right outside Starling National Bank. 

"Why have we stopped?"

"I have an appointment at the bank, it will take a while. Why don't you explore the city and I'll give you a call when my meeting is over."

Oliver stepped out of the car and held his hand out to help her do the same. 

"Oh, okay," She hoped he wouldn't notice the pang of disappointment she felt and masked it quickly with what she hoped looked like a genuine smile, "I could use some retail therapy," she added before turning around and walking away. 

Lunch with Anatoly had been pleasant as the restaurant owner regaled them with stories of his youth and the restaurant early days. Felicity's charisma and genuineness seemed to have charmed Anatoly and himself. He found that he enjoyed watching her savor her meal and her red wine. Oliver noticed himself sharing anecdotes from his life and even playfully teasing Felicity. He had let down his guard and had a great time. As lunch came to an end, he felt his guard go up again as he tried to regain control of his emotions. 

Oliver watched her as she wandered into a store a few meters away. He couldn't help but think about the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as she disappeared from his sight. 

How did Felicity get to him so easily? 

\---

Felicity had spent the past 30 minutes or so strolling through the fancy, high end stores. She was glad to have the opportunity to get out and explore without feeling guilty that she was leaving her patient behind. Roberts' progress was steadily increasing and she was so proud of how far they had come, both physically and emotionally. She wanted to treat herself, maybe some new shoes or a cute dress. 

Although she loved fashion, she didn't particularly like shopping in the high end stores in the city centre. She remembered Thea mentioning a small boutique she loved and decided to look up what that was. Finding the directions was easy enough and it was only a few blocks away. Her phone said it would take about 15 minutes to walk there. She didn't mind the walk. On the plus side she could look for something for her mom and Thea too, while she was there. 

As she walked down the side streets, she couldn't believe how the city seemed to change before her. The upscale, commercial skyscrapers began to dwindle. She wasn't in a residential area, that much could be seen. The buildings here were smaller and older, exposed brick and crumbling cement. The streets seemed quieter too. 

Feeling a little uncomfortable and weary, she picked up her pace. She could sense eyes, watching her. 

She spotted a small bodega on the corner, she knew that she had to make a right turn and the store would be just a couple of minutes away. She opened her messaging app to let Oliver and Diggle know where she was, just in case.

Just as she turned the corner, he blocked her path. His face was mostly masked by a handkerchief. The knife that was being toyed with in his thick fingers glimmered in the sunlight as it was twirled so deftly. 

"Well, look what we have here. Kyle, isn't she the pretty girl that Queen's been driving around the city?" He spoke without any nerves, like it was planned. 

"Huh, now that you mention it, I think you're right," another voice said from behind her.

Felicity stood frozen, the message forgotten. Before she made a run for it, a wet rag was smothered over her nose and mouth. She struggled, trying to push them away but it was no use. 

Everything started to feel fuzzy, and then it seemed to fade to black. 

\---

Groaning lowly, Felicity opened her eyes to her unknown surroundings. She vaguely recalled being cornered by a couple of men. 

_Urgh frack! You've been kidnapped Felicity._

She had zero kidnapping experience. Not that being kidnapped was something she could put on the resume. 

She knew that she had to keep it together. It didn't help that her brain felt really fuzzy and everything seemed to be spinning. There was rope around her wrists; at least these people had her sitting, tied to a chair. 

Taking a few deep breaths she tried to calm herself down. A shiver ran through her, wherever she was, it was damp and cold. Her chair was cold and hard, and probably made of metal. She shuffled in her chair and the legs scraped across the floor, the echo suggested a large room. 

She footsteps heading her way, her movement must have signalled her kidnappers. 

"Oh, would you look at that, sleeping beauty is finally awake," said a raspy feminine voice. 

"Where am I? Who are you and what the frack do you want with me?" Felicity asked groggily, "and why is everything all spinny?" 

The woman smirked, "Oh we don't want anything from you. Your employers on the other hand…"

"Stop playing with the hostage and let's get on with it," a familiar rough voice retorted. He must have been one of the men from the street. "Just get her to unlock the phone for us so we can get this show on the road." 

"You heard him, we need the passcode and we don't want to hurt you so just tell us what it is and we can get back to work," the woman threatened. 

_Did they really think that I would just tell them because they asked?_ "I can't do that, sorry. I can't give you my passcode." Felicity tried to sound firm in her groggy state. 

"Why? Are you trying to protect the Queens? Trust me they don't need your protection." A younger masculine voice retorted. She vaguely remembered the other man calling him Kyle.

"I won't help you. Giving you my passcode...that's not going to help anyone. I just can't." she insisted, there was a lot of confidential information on her phone, contact details, and photos of patients that were considered famous or well known. She couldn't risk that stuff getting out, her career would be in jeopardy. She had to stall them while she thought of a plan, so she asked, "Why are you doing this? What did the Queens do to you anyway?" 

"They have been buying homes, and businesses left, right and centre. They don't care about any of us.All this talk about gentrification in the Glades, making a city a better place... all they're doing is making it really expensive for the little guy to stick around. We can't compete with them, let alone by one of their fancy new buildings or apartments." 

"So kidnapping and hostage taking was plan B?" 

The man's face turned redder as he spoke, "we tried going about this the right way. We tried to take this to the city officials, to the cops, but they are all in their pocket, they don't listen to us. And it's not like we can afford to take them to court. So if the cops wouldn't do it, and the courts won't help, we gotta take matters into our own hands."

"We're just trying to get back on our feet, get our home back," the woman added, "so give us your passcode and this can be over a lot so..." 

_*Mmm num ba de, Dum bum ba be, Doo buh dum ba beh beh, Pressure pushing down on me, Pressing down on you, no man ask for...*_

Felicity's phone started playing Oliver's personal ringtone, as his image lit up the screen. 

"Well would you look at that? We didn't need the passcode anyway. Watch her, while I take this call" the older man grunted. 

He walked a few metres away before he spoke.

"Mr Queen, it's great to finally get in touch with you. We have something of yours we like to return for a small price. Blonde hair, blue eyes, 5 foot 4 inches…"

Her captor's grin grew as he listened.

"I knew we could come to an understanding. 5 million dollar in cash. Bring the money to the old steel factory in the Glades in 3 hours. Oh, and come alone. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your blonde friend. Keep your phone close, we'll be in touch," he stated before hanging up. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments :)


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